The Tunnel
by Missgoldy
Summary: Feeling stressed out and exhausted, Linka quits the group, much to the dismay of her friends. Unfortunately, she realises that a Planeteer's job is never done........
1. Default Chapter

_Hey everybody! Well, i'm at it again, the CP geek is still writing. I don't know where the hell i'm going with this fic, but i didn't plan out any of my other fics either. This will be TOTALLY UNRELATED to my other fics, so if u are expecting a sequel to Return/Planeteers, this aint it!!!! In a nut-shell, Linka will quit the group but find herself in a more dangerous position than she could ever have anticipated. Of course, guess who comes to her assistance!!! Not a re-write of the 'Missing Linka' episode, more my own version of how and what could have happened if Linka left the group.. L/W rules!!!! Love Goldy (Sarah)_

_Feel free to review or email!!!!_

**The Tunnel**

**Chapter One**

Utterly exhausted, Linka propped herself up against a wall in the shade, cursing herself for leaving her shades in her room. The Planeteers had been asked to help clean up in the wake of a ferocious sandstorm that had battered large settlements within Tunisia. Homes had literally been torn up without warning during the night, the inhabitants sleeping at the time. Many had died during the night, either crushed to death or from waiting too long for medical assistance. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she surveyed the others who were exhibiting varying states of exhaustion. Gi looked ready to drop where she stood: sweat clinging to her forehead and clothes, her water bottle clutched tightly in her hand. Gi's power was limited in such a dry environment, so she sought out survivors with Ma-Ti and alerted the volunteers. Kwame was using his power to clear the rubble and move debris, guided by Wheeler. Linka had been helping, but was close to passing out and chose to rest for a few minutes.

A cool breeze ruffled her hair for a moment, followed by an over amorous fly which began buzzing around her face. Linka swatted it away, annoyed at the interruption to her rest. Unfortunately, it returned with a vengeance, landing on her nose and finally, her lips. Perhaps it was the heat, the loss of life, the excessive hours that she had been working lately, or maybe the fact that Linka had had virtually no sleep the night before (the boys had played music until the early hours of the morning). Whatever the reason, Linka jumped to her feet in frustration and let loose a torrent of heavily-accented swear words, leading the other Planeteers to turn and watch in surprise.

"She really needs to get laid......." commented Wheeler dryly as he watched Linka's slim figure retreating towards the Geo Cruiser, still attempting to pummel the fly assaulting her senses. Easily dodging the water bottle thrown towards him by Gi, Wheeler looked at Kwame for confirmation that they could go.

"We've done all we can....." Kwame replied, nodding towards the constant stream of helpers continuing to arrive from neighbouring villages. Gathering their equipment, the four turned and headed in the direction that Linka had so memorably moved earlier.

They were in the air within ten minutes, all passengers feeling tired, hot and dirty. Linka sat quietly at the back, watching the patterns and colours of the land they were flying over. The blurred images gave way to thoughts and memories as she contemplated her role in the group. The five of them had been planeteers since they were teenagers: it was all that they knew. Wheeler had often talked about what he'd do when he left the group, but no one had seriously entertained the idea. In fact, Linka was terrified of facing reality when the time came.

In the early years they had exhibited too much bravado, thinking that they were invincible. This view had changed dramatically when Looten Plunder had grown tired of constantly being outwitted by the kids. During a dramatic confrontation, Plunder had produced a gun and fired several shots towards Gi and Wheeler. Since Captain Planet had been released, the were powerless to prevent the outcome. Gi's leg had been grazed superficially, but it was Wheeler who had pushed Gi to the ground and received more serious injuries. The result was 6 nights in hospital, two bullets lodged in Wheelers collar bone and a 5 day suspension for Kwame who had furiously retaliated against the Eco-Villian with his fists. Linka had sat cradling Wheeler's head in her lap until the ambulance arrived, watching Ma-Ti and Cap wrestle Kwame to the ground. This sequence of events had frightened her immensly, and they all had learned from the experience. A sense of cautiousness pervaded all of their missions now, and Linka continued to suffer the anxiety. She was tired, anxious and stressed out all the time. Linka also felt that Wheeler had given up persuing her, and this just depressed her further.

The Geo Cruiser touched down several hours later. Ma-Ti and Gi jumped out and ran towards the beach immediately, Ma-Ti tripping over a tree root in his haste to get wet. Kwame walked towards the living areas, obviously a shower and some sleep being his main priority. Wheeler sat and observed Linka's sleeping profile for a while, dark circles present under her eyes. Hesitant to wake her but not having the strength left to carry her, Wheeler gently roused her.

Stirring slightly, she locked eyes with her friend and found herself whispering "I don't want to do this anymore......" Standing up uncertainly, Linka stumbled out of the plane, missing the shocked and dismayed look on Wheeler's face.


	2. Chapter Two

**_Hello, sorry it's so late: I've been a busy girl!!!!_**

**The Tunnel**

_Chapter Two_

A busy, hectic and chaotic day had given way to a rather silent evening at Hope Island. The only noises that could be heard were eminating from Linka's room: the sounds of drawers opening, clothes and belongings being thrown haphazardly into suitcases. The remaining Planeteers had called an emergency meeting with Gaia, frustrated and shocked at the suddeness of Linka's announcement. Gaia had merely advised them to stand back and let her make her own decision. So it was after this meeting that the others were now seated around the kitchen table, pondering the consequences for the group.

"Maybe she just needs some time to herself?" commented Gi sadly. "I mean, we've all been doing this for over 5 years now. I know I need a break......."

"Yeah, but if you need a break, you take a holiday, Gi." Wheeler responded savagely."You don't just quit."

Shrugging his shoulders, Kwame lowered his head and rubbed his temples, as if a headache was developing.

"You realise that we'll need to find a replacement soon....." Ma-Ti spoke quietly. "We can't operate without her ring."

Swearing quietly under his breath, Wheeler continued to pick the threads out of the cotton tablecloth that Gi had brought back from Vietnam. Gi watched him silently, vaguely annoyed at the large hole that had developed in the expensive material.

Several minutes passed by, before Wheeler stood up suddenly and exited the room, slamming the door violently behind him. Kwame chose not to follow his friend, knowing he needed some time to cool down.

As if on cue, Linka entered the room, somewhat nervously. Feeling three sets of eyes fall on her, she shuffled her feet slightly and looked at the floor, as if pondering what to say. Finally, she moved over to them and sat down in the seat Wheeler had just vacated.

"You'll keep in touch, then?" asked Ma-Ti. Smiling through the tears that were beginning to fall, she replied that she'd ring every week.

The four sat and talked for about an hour, remembering the adventures, the villians and the fun times they had participated in.

Finally, Linka stood and collected her bags. It was now close to three in the morning, and her Grandmother and Mishka had been expecting her home hours ago. Kwame carried her bags as they made their way to the Geo Cruiser, as Gi had offered to fly her home to her native Russia. Bags and belongings stowed securely away, Linka hugged each of her friends in turn. Linka turned and surveyed the beach and buildings, bitterly disappointed that Wheeler had not arrived to say goodbye.

The men waved heartily as the plane disappeared into the night. Kwame vowed to "break his bloody neck" when he saw Wheeler next, and Ma-Ti had agreed, laughing. "He'll regret it tomorrow, though...." Ma-Ti commented.

The girls arrived in Russia at 8pm, local time. Gi touched down beside a barn that was in desperate need of a coat of paint. The girls moved her luggage into the old, crumbling building, since Linka had no desire to drag her belongings through the poorly lit trees and uneven ground.

"I'll get that stubborn Yankee to call you tomorrow" Gi promised with a grin. Feeling somewhat relieved, Linka hugged her friend tightly before Gi climbed back into the Cruiser.

"Are you sure you don't want to get some sleep, first?" asked Linka, aware of the long journey ahead of her.

"Nah, the thought of slapping Wheeler silly should get me through the night" Gi replied, a huge grin settling on her round face.

"Do you think he hates me?" Linka asked reluctantly. "Not a chance!" came the reply before the door was closed and Gi made her way back to the island, waving from the drivers window.

Linka grabbed her handbag and discman and made her way back to her childhood home. The moon cast eerie beams of light on the path as she walked, lost in thought and occasionally tripping over a rock or stone. As the house came into view, Linka noticed that the lights were off, a strange sight since Mishka's battered car was parked in it's usual spot. Frowning slightly, she hurried towards the front door and fumbled around in her bag for a key. As she blindly searched for the key hole, she sensed movement behind her. Turning wildly, the front yard was deserted, as deathly quiet as the house. "Shit!" she whispered, finally turning the lock and half falling into the hallway.

Looking around, Linka again had the feeling that someone was watching her. Dismissing it as nerves, she made her way into the kitchen, usually the hub of activity for her family. Plates and cups remained on the counter containing half-eaten morsels of potatoes and meat. Panic began to pervade her usually calm demeaner as Linka moved quickly throughout the rest of the house, flicking the light switches that refused to turn on.

Moving towards the bedrooms, Linka caught her foot on something and fell to the ground, cutting her shoulder and hand on broken glass scattered on the floor. Alarmed, she jumped to her feet as hands reached out in the darkness, muffling her screams with a piece of material. As the fumes entered her lungs and she was lifted off her feet and out of the house, Linka's last, frightened thought was the realisation that it was Mishka's lifeless form that she had fallen over.

**_Hey guys! Next chapter: The replacement Planeteer, Wheeler's feeling like a major scumbag and Ma-Ti's feeling slightly uneasy about something........wonder what that could be???!!!!_**


	3. Chapter Three

**_Hi everybody! Thankyou VERY MUCH for the reviews! After a busy, stressful day at work I really love to come home and read them. Puts a smile on my face and motivates me to keep writing. Keep reviewing, by all means............_**

_**The Tunnel**_

_**Chapter Three**_

Wheeler sighed loudly and leaned back in his uncomfortable wooden chair, bored out of his skull. Gaia had scheduled a meeting that afternoon and was currently reporting on the recent activities of all major Eco-Villians. After an hour of listening to the Earth Spirit's droning voice however, Wheeler was now wishing he'd left with Linka. The others were obviously feeling the same . Gi's head was resting on Kwame's shoulder, Kwame had yawned loudly three times in as many minutes, and Ma-Ti was scratching his initials into the armrest of his chair (and attracting glares from the speaker). Only Cheyla (Linka's replacement) was sitting upright, her brown eyes locked in Gaia's direction. Wheeler noticed with amusement that Cheyla was even taking notes in a black, leather-bound file and asking questions every once in a while. Cheyla was from a small town in Spain, and had surprised the others with her confident, almost aggressive manner. Tall and slim, with dark brown hair that cascaded into tight ringlets and flawless olive skin, Cheyla was talented with computers and had apparentlyworked with a conservation company for the past 4 years.

With Gaia's ever increasing glare now focused on him, Wheeler wisely chose to maintain eye contact and listen to the remainder of the meeting. Ten minutes later they were filing out of the Crystal chamber, tired and restless. Gi strode past Wheeler quickly and slapped him over the head painfully, as she had done every afternoon since Linka had left four days ago. Grabbing Gi around the waist, he picked her up and carried the protesting girl towards the compost heap.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry....." she gasped, not wanting to become an addition to their recycling efforts. "But seriously Wheeler..." she added when he dropped her to the ground, "You're an idiot for not saying goodbye. You can be such a stubborn bast......"

"Hello," Cheyla interrupted loudly, staring at Wheeler unflinchingly and almost ignoring Gi's presence. Narrowing her eyes, Gi shot a look of contempt towards Cheyla and walked back to her living quarters, hands in her pockets and eyes downcast. Wheeler felt sorry for her, since Gi had lost her best friend, and the new girl was doing nothing to endear herself to the others. Since arriving, she had complained about the size of her room, physically threw Sutchi out of a window for jumping onto her shoulder and had criticised Kwame several times during a mission, something that the others would never dream of doing to the quiet, knowledgable African man.

An unsubtle cough plunged Wheeler back into reality. With a small amount of resentment, he realised Cheyla was still standing next to him, waiting for acknowledgment. "So.....you settled in yet?" he asked politely, not really caring for the answer. Cheyla clearly appreciated his question, and launched into her life story: family, school, ex boyfriends who were lazy, unmotivated so-and-so's with few redeeming features. "But i'm single, now." she finished happily. "_No wonder..." _Wheeler thought sarcastically, before yawning loudly and announcing he was going to watch TV in the common room. To his frustration Cheyla followed alongside him, before settling down next to him on the sofa and placing her bare legs on his lap. Ma-Ti and Kwame watched in amusement, obviously relying on Ma-Ti's ring to communicate with each other (Kwame had burst out laughing during an ad break, drawing a surprised reaction from Cheyla.) Soon after she announced she was going to bed and strutted out the door.

"Don't tell me. I don't wanna' know." Wheeler threatened after they were sure she couldn't hear them. Wiping tears from his eyes, Kwame explained." We were just thinking that you can't catch a break, my friend! Cheyla and Linka are exact opposites...."

"Damn, Kwame." Wheeler retaliated. " Don't even compare Linka to that man-eating, psychotic, self-absorbed wacko."

"Anyone I know?" asked Gi who had returned from her room to join them. After several minutes of bitching about Cheyla andpondering their future, Kwame asked the question they had all been thinking. "Anybody heard from Linka?" The three Planeteers shook their heads, Ma-Ti adding that he no longer had a direct link with her, and for some reason was unable to even partially reach or receive her.

"She lives in a mining town, though. Might be related to the iron minerals interfering with the signal. It's happened before." Gi pointed out to Ma-Ti, who nodded in agreement but continued to look apprehensive.

"I shoulda' been there to say goodbye...." Wheeler muttered, regretting his decision to take off. "YOU RECKON?" Gi exploded, venting her anger on the surprised American. "My God, Wheeler, you selfish idiot! Why the hell didn't you? There was no reason for you to take off like that! It was already a hard enough decision for her to make. She was devestated that you weren't there. She's been trying so hard to improve her self esteem and confidence lately and you shattered it on Sunday night in 5 minutes!" Gi ranted, red faced and on her feet now. "So why didn't you see her off?" she yelled as Kwame and Ma-Ti waited for Wheeler to explode with his customary, short temper when confronted by someone. Instead, Wheeler stayed seated, maintaing contact with Gi's defiant gaze. "You know why." Wheeler muttered quietly as Kwame and Ma-Ti took their leave, obviously expecting more verbal fireworks from the fiesty Asian girl.

Gi sighed and sat down beside him, understanding his predicament. "Wheeler, I know how you feel about her, but that's no excuse. You let her down, Yankee." Nodding his head, he pondered his next move. "I think Ill ring her tomorrow." he decided aloud, earning a hug from Gi. "Good idea Wheeler. And if she doesn't forgive you, you always have Cheyla!" she laughed, dodging Wheeler's light punch and bounding back to her room

"Not bloody likely...." Wheeler muttered in response to Gi's last words. Feeling slightly happier now, he grabbed his cell phone and strode back to his room with it, ready to call Linka in the morning.

* * *

"Is she living the high life yet?" Gi inquired, stirring Wheeler from his troubled thoughts. Having just returned from a mission, the group were now seated outside in the warm sunshine, enjoying the rest of the day. Shaking his head, Wheeler explained: "I can't get hold of her. I've tried her cell four times, her pager....... her home phone line is busy all the time, too." 

"Maybe she gave you the wrong number?" suggested Kwame hopefully, starting to feel concerned himself. It was out of character for Linka to remain out of touch for so long. Ma-Ti opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Gaia with one of her never-ending 'Planeteer Alert's.' Cursing, the group stood and walked quickly to the Crystal Chamber, Wheeler dawdling hesitantly behind the rest.

Entering Gaia's 'office', Wheeler's irritation increased when Cheyla practically shoved Gi out of the way in order to stand beside him. Steam was practically billowing out of Gi's ears as she glared at the Spanish woman, who calmly levelled her eyes on Gaia. Feeling utterly overwhelmed with resentment and worry, Wheeler was totally unable to concentrate on the information being relayed to him.

Having finished speaking, Gaia ushered them out the door towards the Geo Cruiser. As they were strapping themselves in, Wheeler suddenly felt violently ill. "Are you OK, my friend?" asked Ma-Ti, seeing how pale Wheeler had become. "Not really" he replied quietly, before standing quickly and clutching a roof beam for support.

"You might be better off staying here," Gi said, opening the door and grabbing his arm. Despite his protests, the others seemed to agree. Feeling hot, dizzy and ready to pass out, Wheeler allowed Gi to help him off the vehicle. "Ma-Ti can reach you if we need a Team Beam." As he sat down heavily on the grass, the Geo Cruiser took off without him, with Cheyla's pointed, arrogant face looking out at him from one of the rear windows.

As the plane moved out of sight, Wheeler got unsteadily to his feet, turned and unwittingly walked straight through Gaia who had floated over to meet him. "Arrgh! Don't bloody do that!" he exclaimed in fright, loathing the sensation of her form moving through him. Smiling hesitantly, the spirit apologised and beckoned for him to follow. Hurrying to catch up, Wheeler noticed that the sick feeling had gone as quickly as it had come. Entering the chamber once again, Wheeler looked on in surprise as the spirit closed the huge, glass doors for the first time everwith a wave of her hands, bathing the room in darkness. The area surrounding Wheeler glowed red as he used his ring to provide some light, afraid he'd impale himself on a sharp piece of crystal if he stepped the wrong way.

"I'm sorry I had to make you sick, Wheeler. It was the only option I had without raising suspicions." Opening his mouth to interrupt, Gaia's dimly lit form shook her head before continuing. "I need to be quick.He'll be aware I've closed the doors by now." Motioning towards the heavy glass panels, she went on.

"My elders cannot hear us when they are shut. I believe that something has happened to Linka. I have been unable to reach her telepathically, which is impossible unless one of my superiors has been BLOCKING MY EFFORTS. Linka's replacement was arranged by one of these spirits and I feel that Ba'ra is the one responsible. I believe that Cheyla is working with him, to what purpose I don't......"

"BOOM!" A loud crack shook the air, before a devastatingly bright light shone through the transparent glass, momentarily blinding the shocked American. Wheeler felt a strong force pulling him roughly to the floor as the cracking noises continued, then Gaia's calm voice continued in his ear. "The other Planeteers will have to fend for themselves.You're on your own, Wheeler. You need to get to Linka's house and find where they took her. Rely on your instincts! They will have taken her somewhere underground: newly earth-bound spirts need to be as close to the earth's core as possible. It's where Ba'ra gains his power. Find the tunnel and you will find them both......"

"BOOM!" Another loud crack resonated through the chamber, before the glass doors shattered, showering them in crystal. Yellow light engulfed the room as Gaia fearfullywatched the shadow emerging from it . Turning to face Wheeler, she smiled down serenely at him. "Good bye, Wheeler. Good luck." Her voice echoing through his brain, she made a motion of her hands towards him, before defiantly rushing at the shadow that had engulfed half of the chamber by now. Wheeler vaguely experienced a feeling of falling, before a mauve light surrounded him and he blacked out.

_**Sorry guys, I seem to like the old cliffhanger ending!!! Next week: What the hells going on with Linka, more Wheeler and Gi exacts revenge on a certain someone. Please keep reviewing, or I'll get disheartened and stop!**_


	4. Chapter Four

_Yikes! Sorry, guys...........I'm a little late with the next chapter! Keep reviewing, I appreciate it heaps. If you want updates regarding chapters, check out Yahoo Groups CPC (Captain Planet Club). I occasionally post info about upcoming stuff eg. if i'm running late etc._

_You know what.....I've yet to do the copyright 'thang'!! Captain Planet and the characters belong to Ted Turner/Cartoon Network. Terrible, patchy story and bad grammar and spelling belong's to moi. Not that anyone would want it......_

**The Tunnel**

Chapter Four

The sounds of drilling and coarse voices were the first to invade her senses. The second sensation was of pain: her hand and shoulder were throbbing intensely. Momentary disorientation and panic flooded through Linka's body as she realised they were moving at a steady pace and that she was hoisted uncomfortably over someone's shoulder. Linka's upside-down view of the surroundings were further confused by the bouncing gait of the man carrying her. Trying to focus, she could dimly make out earth-moving equipment, dozens of filthy workers peering curiously at them and a well dressed man wearing a brimmed hat trailing the unusual group, barking out orders to a huge, heavily-muscled bald man.

Weaving their way through the endless maze of passages, Linka suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous. Struggling desperately against her captor, she was dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and promptly threw up violently in the corner. By now, the smartly-attired man had caught up and with a flick of his hand had dismissed the others, leaving her alone with him. Exhausted and scared, she stood unsteadily and stumbled several metres away from him, before her legs gave way and she collapsed in a heap. Smiling gently, the man approached the frightened girl and sat in front of her, legs crossed and palms upwards in a gesture of peace.

"A side effect of the chloroform, I'm afraid. I apologise for the method, but I didn't want you blowing my acquaintances into oblivion." The man reached out and touched Linka's shoulder gently. Shrinking back from his hand, she watched him warily; fists clenched and ready to lash out since she no longer had her ring to rely on. "Looks painful," the man went on. "I'll get my people to look at that: you've lost a fair amount of blood, Linka." She continued to regard him sullenly, silently wondering how he knew her name. The man stood quickly and grasped her good arm, pulling Linka to her feet and leading her deeper underground. Fright gave way to horror as the ex-Planeteer watched a female worker electracute herself whilst attempting to hang wires from the dirt walls. "Boshe moi....." Linka whispered in disbelief as she realised the 'electrician' was the mother of an old school friend from days gone by.

As other stunned workers were ordered to move the still-smoking body, Linka was again gently led away, tripping over the steel tracks on the ground that transported the tonnes of earth being moved at an ever increasing rate. Helping Linka to her feet, he walked her through an archway leading into a small, comfortably furnished room with a bed and wash basin. She sat on the bed quietly, sighed and turned her back to him, leaning against the bed-head for support.

"My name's William. You can stay here for the moment. I'll get someone in to treat your wounds. You should get some rest." He waited for a response but none came. "I saved your life, you know. Everyone from your town is here working on the tunnel......." He sat down on the bed beside her, observing her tangled hair, tear-stained face, scuffed jeans and bloody singlet top. Linka remained motionless- mouth closed, eyes staring blankly at nothing.

The silence was interrupted when another two men entered the room. Linka recognised the voice of one of the intruders immediately who spoke in a loud voice to William. "The Planet Brats have been taken care of, Cheyla hasn't called in yet but she's due to any minute."

"I told you not to mark her." William seethed, pointing in Linka's direction who was now sobbing with shock as she processed this information. Looten Plunder jumped to his own defense. "We had to take the brother out, he put up too much of a fight: she tripped and fell, wasn't our fault......why are we keeping her anyway, she's trouble........."

"Ba'ra wanted the family members alive to work and as a means of controlling her, you dimwit." William explained, annoyed. Plunder shook his head: "The Yankee would have been a better option, pity he's in a million pieces, though..." The Eco-Villian smirked arrogantly. "Bet he never knew what hit....."

Before he could finish the sentence, Plunder was knocked violently to the ground by a screaming, distressed Linka, who'd heard everything and was now pummeling him with her fists, scratching his face and tearing out his hair. "GETEROFMEEE!" He bellowed as the other two pulled Linka off with extreme difficulty, still sobbing hysterically and swearing. As she felt the chloroform clamped over her mouth again, Plunder had pulled himself up and flounced out, knocking workers over violently in the process. As Plunder's friend followed him, amused at the events that had occurred, William momentarily removed the cloth and whispered harshly in her ear.

"Now you listen to me. Ba'ra is taking over. Your beloved Gaia and friends are gone, and I'm the only reason you're still here. The leader will destroy everything you and your people ever took for granted and these tunnel systems will be the only place safe to live. You're gunna' be a queen, Linka.....I chose you, so get used to it and move on." With that, the cloth was replaced over her nose and mouth and she was dragged to the bed, flung onto the matress unceramoniously and left blissfully alone and unconsciouss.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Wheeler could just make out an old model Honda with an indiscernible bumper sticker. Squinting his eyes from the spot he'd landed some 10 metres from the car, he tried harder to focus. Realising it was written in Russian, he jumped to his feet in surprise. An old, yellowing farmhouse stood before him, sunlight streaming down through the trees, casting eerie shadows on the crumbling front verandah. Noticing the front door open and familiar-looking luggage strewn carelessly about, he moved quickly and quietly towards the house. About 3 sets of footprints ran in all directions around the house, mud and dirt leading inside as well.

Stepping inside, he was startled to find Linka's family's belongings scattered and broken all over the floor. Furniture had been up-ended, glass shelves containing china and figurines were smashed and the walls had boot-sized marks and impressions on them. "Must have made a shit-load of noise..." Wheeler thought, hoping strongly that Linka hadn't arrived in the midst of the chaos.

Wheeler was suddenly aware of another noise coming from the house.......laboured breathing from another room. His pulse now racing, he moved up the hallway, realising with mounting horror that he was stepping over broken glass and that blood was visible on the floors and the walls. A leg came into view, followed by a torso and finally the rest of a body, propped up against the wall and fighting a losing battle to stay upright. A deep wound was visible on his forehead, pieces of glass embedded within it. Entering the room, Wheeler knelt beside Mishka, amazed that he was still conscious.

"They took them both......find them, please....." Mishka gasped. Nodding, the American helped Linka's brother up and half dragged, half carried him out of the house. "Everybody's gone, whole town..... no one here......" Mishka murmured, falling into a cane chair on the porch as Wheeler noticed a car driving erratically through the trees. Moving protectively in front of Mishka, Wheeler noticed the driver waving a long object over someone in the backseat. Peering closer, he watched as the car slowed, stopping completely when it came into contact with an old elm tree. The driver's door opened and the person jumped out, raving and cursing in Chinese as she pulled the other occupant out forcefully and flung the bound, snarling, curly-haired woman to the ground. The driver rounded the car and paced quickly towards Wheeler, still raving in her native language and waving her hands around blindly.

"I can't understand a word you're saying, Gi" Wheeler said, shaking his head.

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT SHE DID: SHE WALKED US INTO A TRAP, THE LYING, PSYCHO BITCH!" Gi screeched, grabbing Wheeler by the shirt and pulling him towards Cheyla who was now sitting upright and glaring defiantly at them.

"You've chosen the wrong team, Wheeler....." Cheyla whispered with venom. "He'll take over soon and all this will be gone, you stupid...."

"Where's Ma-Ti?" Gi interrupted, grabbing Cheyla by the throat. "Linka's gone, too." Wheeler added. Closing her eyes, Gi strengthened her grip on Cheyla's neck. "Ow, OK, OK, you'll never get in anyway.......there's an old Iron Ore mine not far from here, just follow the dirt road past the town. You'll be too late, anyway.....they'll be dead by the time....."

"SMACK!" Gi had punched her hard in the nose before she'd had time to finish. Looking on amazed, Wheeler silently wondered where the old, quiet-natured Gi had gone as she moved towards the house, again talking Chinese in a high-pitched voice. Grabbing Mishka, she helped him to the car and placed him in the back seat. "Are we gunna' leave her lying there?" asked Wheeler, jumping into the passenger seat. "Yep", Gi responded. "We'll drop him at the hospital and go find this place." she said firmly, reversing out from the tree and peeling out of the front yard at top speed. With that, Gi started explaining what had happened to her during the past 6 hours.

**New chapter next weekend. We'll meet that naughty Ba'ra, run into some more old Eco Villians, find out what the hell happened to Gi and the others, Adrian gets a little frisky and who the hell is the bald muscle-man?**


	5. Chapter Five

_**Hey guys.....Thanks to my lovely regulars who keep reviewing! It's much appreciated. The longest chapter so far, I was on a roll and worked on it until midnight on a school night! I was a little crabby with the kids the following day............**_

**The Tunnel**

_Chapter Five_

"God-dammit, Gi! Would ya' slow down?" Wheeler complained as Gi sped over the third pot-hole within the space of 5 minutes. Ignoring him, she continued her break-neck speed along the gravel road, oblivious to the fact that her passengers were being thrown around violently in the back seat. Wheeler was unsucessfully attempting to keep an unconscious Mishka immobile and to process the new information Gi was relaying to him. So far, the American had pieced together a little of what had happened to the others. The remaining Planeteers had touched down in an isolated area not far from their current position. Gi had exited the Geo Cruiser with the others with the belief that they had been summoned due to severe logging and de-forestation. Upon inspecting the heavily-wooded grounds, the group had been momentarily confused.....

* * *

"There's no evidence to suggest illegal logging...." Kwame had commented quietly, after surveying the area with a deep frown etched into his forehead.

"Maybe Gaia made a mistake?" suggested Ma-Ti, feeling slightly perturbed. It wasn't like Gaia to get her wires crossed. "Wait a minute..... we're near Linka's house, aren't we!"

"Oh, to hell with it. Let's go and surprise her! There's nothing here to take care off, anyway." Gi said excitedly, grinning hopefully at Kwame.

The African man shrugged his shoulders and nodded, taking one last look around before moving back towards their transport. "Where is Cheyla?" Kwame asked over his shoulder, receiving an unflattering and unsavoury response from Gi. Chuckling at Gi's intense dislike for the new girl, Kwame entered the vehicle and turned the appropriate switches, before it made several spluttering noises and fell silent once again.

"Now what?" Gi complained loudly, moving to the front and lifting the engine hood. Annoyance turned to shock as she called Kwame over. The two Planeteers stared at the mangled parts and broken hoses, lost for words. "How did this...? When did it...? How...?" Kwame wondered aloud, unable to finish his sentences.

"Cheyla..." Gi seethed angrily. "What I wouldn't give to smash that pointy little face of ...."

"There are people coming!" Ma-Ti interrupted urgently. Urging them to be silent, he called upon the power of 'heart'.

"Gaia is gone......Linka is nearby....she is frightened.....in pain.....I see darkness around her.......under the surface........we must find Whee...."

Ma-Ti's vision was cut short by a low whistling sound that punctuated the air. Turning his head in surprise, he was struck on the cheek by a fist-sized rock and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Gi and Kwame moved instinctively together, searching blindly for their attackers as more rocks were hurled from all directions. Spotting a poorly hidden man in a red shirt through the trees, Kwame seized his chance. "Earth!" He commanded, returning a massive amount of rocks, dirt and grass towards the unprepared individual. Gi felt utterly helpless: there was no water within her sight to manipulate. As they dodged another barrage of rocks, Kwame must have realised her dilemma as well.

"Run!" He hissed out of the corner of his mouth. "I'll keep them occupied. Try and find Wheeler!" Pointing his ring at the ground, he bellowed "EARTH!" once more, before pushing Gi in the direction of the earthquake he had created.

Running at full pelt, she dodged the fallen men who had been thrown several metres at the force of the tremors. One grabbed at her ankle as she passed, causing her to stumble. Kicking out, she felt the connection, before tearing through the forest, cursing at having to leave her friends behind. Weaving through the twisted limbs, a clearing became visable through the dense foliage. Slowing down to a jog, she observed an old, early model car with the engine running. Sighting a figure approaching, Gi darted behind a tree as a woman hurried towards the driver's side door. Throwing her handbag onto the back seat, the woman stopped and listened intently to the yells eminating from the direction Gi had escaped from. Smiling, Cheyla grabbed her cell phone and made a quick phone call.

"Yes, darling, It's done.Yes, I have the 'Wind' ring. The American is still a threat, though......no, I'll take care of him myself."

"Like hell you will!" Gi muttered after the call had ended. Sensing her chance, she pointed her ring towards the car radiator.

"WATER!"

Green liquid suddenly shot out and hit the startled woman in the face, along with the radiator cap that had been dislodged in the process. Gasping and spluttering, Cheyla turned and swung, but Gi was too quick for her. The Planeteer ran forward and tackled her violently to the ground. Muttering loudly to herself, Gi forced her into the back seat and bound Cheyla's hands and legs, before hopping into the driver's seat and heading to the only place she could think of: Linka's house.

* * *

Jumping behind the wheel (despite Gi's protestations), Wheeler waited until the nurses had wheeled Mishka into the emergency room before he drove away. Finding the old access road had been a breeze: too easy, Gi had commented as they spent the next 45 minutes winding their way over hazardous terrain. "A 4WD would be good right about now!" Wheeler had said in an effort to lighten up the sombre mood. The car spluttered and heaved its way over steep inclines, rocky ditches and areas with water over the road.

"Is it my imagination, or are we getting higher? Gi inquired, adjusting to the pressure building up in her ears.

"That doesn't make any sense: Gaia said this Ba'ra dude needed to be closer to the Earths... SHIT!" Wheeler exclaimed loudly, quickly applying the brakes and throwing his arm across Gi's chest to prevent her from hitting the dashboard. While Wheeler caught his breath, Gi peered through the front windshield. They had stopped just in time: the road had ended in a 100 metre drop!

Below was a hive of activity: hundreds of little people were scurrying around like ants in what looked like a massive, hollow crater. Trucks, pulleys and other various machinery could be seen, as well as a large hole to the bottom left of where they were standing, obviously the entrance to the mine. Moving the car to a less visible spot, the Planeteers jumped out and crept to the rim, watching the happenings below for several minutes.

"How the hell do we get down there?" Wheeler whispered to Gi. "Any ideas, brainiac?" Gi shook her head morosely, worrying about her three missing companions.

"Are you working, my friends, or relaxing on the job?" asked a third, deep voice who proceeded to thump Wheeler on the back affectionately. Spinning around wildly, Wheeler nearly toppled over the cliff, saved only by Kwame's quick reflexes. The African man grabbed his collar and wrenched him back to safety, as Gi threw her arms around Kwame's shoulders, relieved that he had escaped in one piece.

"Don't do that, man.... you scared the living shit out of us! Where's Ma-Ti?" Wheeler asked, still looking pale and shaken from the experience.

"I could not help Ma-Ti. I had to leave him there. Linka?"

"They got to her as soon as she arrived home, I'm guessing"

"Well, let's go find our friends, shall we?"

* * *

Linka meanwhile, had been roused from a troubled sleep by the sound of a familiar voice. William had been sitting and watching her intently for about half an hour and had also heard the shouting. Feigning sleep, she listened to the man rise from his chair and exit the room.

Getting up from the small, single bed, she crept cautiously to the arch and listened through the curtain, certain that she had heard Ma-Ti's voice. Moving the material slightly, she peered out at the huge, domed space and gasped as she watched Ma-Ti being dragged into one of the endless tunnels adjoining the area. William was barking out orders to the same heavily muscled man she had seen before. Moving the fabric further for a closer inspection, an ugly, smiling, toothless face suddenly replaced the view. Stumbling backwards in shock, Linka barely had time to register who the familiar, unwelcome face was.

"Oh, lookee' ere! You Planet brats turn up in the weirdest of places!" Rigger exclaimed, entering the room and grabbing her arm as she attempted to move away. Before he could say anything else, William had swiftly re-entered the room and grabbed Looten Plunder's right hand man by the neck and hurled him outside. "Aw right, aw right...." Rigger muttered, moving off with his proverbial tail between his legs.

Linka stood her ground, glaring defiantly at her captor as he approached and now wishing that Rigger had stayed behind. Face to face, noses almost touching, William reached out and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. With his free hand, he trailed his fingertips down Linka's throat towards her chest. Gathering whatever reserves of strength she had left, she pushed him away and looked directly into his eyes:

"Touch me again and I'll make sure you never experience fatherhood, creep......"

After he had left (swearing angrily), she sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled for the first time since her capture. Feeling utterly relieved, she had both managed to fend off his advances and seen proof that at least one of her friends was indeed alive: Plunder had been wrong! Her heart sung with excitement as she hopefully contemplated a potential rescue. Sitting back, she listened to the sounds of drilling and grinding coming from outside her room, and whether Wheeler was nearby..............

**_Next Chapters: What's William up to? Where is Ba'ra? Gi and Kwame take an unsuccessful detour, Ma-Ti meets some inmates and Wheeler reluctantly runs afoul of the muscle man....._**


	6. Chapter Six

G'day everybody! Hope you've had a good week.

**The Tunnel**

_Chapter Six_

Ma-Ti watched with mounting anger as a small group of boys no older than 12 were herded past his large cell, carrying buckets of heavy rocks and dirt while dodging frequent slaps and kicks from their captors. As the disheveled children made their way up the uneven steps, one of the boys began to lag behind the others, stumbling and obviously experiencing difficulties. Gesturing at his acquaintances to continue, one of the men who had been trailing the group now stood with his back to the Planeteer, observing the exhausted boy who was now crouched on all fours and wheezing heavily. Even without his ring, Ma-Ti sensed that this man was clearly enjoying the power he held over the youngster, who by now had curled into a foetal position, frightened and gasping for breath.

The man was heavily muscled, oil and sweat gleaming over every part of his body (including his shaved head). Flexing his biceps for a moment, the man then crouched down as if to help the frightened boy up. Then without warning, he backhanded the unprepared boy sharply across the side of the head, sending him careening across the other side. Laughing, the man ignored Ma-Ti's objections, exiting the room and muttering loudly in what seemed like a German accent. Feeling utterly helpless, Ma-Ti sunk to his knees and rested his forehead against the metal bars of his cage, hoping that the others were having better luck than he was.

* * *

"EARTH!" 

Kwame aimed his ring at the ground, while forming an image of his ultimate objective in his mind. Opening his eyes, he stood on the edge of the cliff face and admired his handiwork.

"Not bad, 't you have made it a little smoother?" Wheeler asked sourly, noting the jagged rocks jutting out from the makeshift, 100 foot dirt slide located at the other end of the bustling tunnel entrance.

The trio stood in silence, each knowing that the other were contemplating who would ride this suicidal carnival ride first. Wheeler peered over the edge further, slightly worried that the end of the earth slide couldn't even be seen from their vantage point. By now, Kwame had snuck up behind the oblivious American after exchanging glances with Gi. "WATER!" A steady stream of the liquid cascaded down, effectively turning Kwame's creation into a muddy waterslide!

"After you, Wheeler." Kwame commented sagely, before shoving Wheeler over the side, sending him careening headfirst at a break-neck pace. "YOU GODDAMN BAST......" was all that the others heard before a sharp turn literally knocked the breath from his lungs. Twisting and turning madly, Wheeler barely noticed the sharp twigs and stones that scratched his body as he continued his reckless, out of control journey. After what seemed like an eternity, the end came quickly into focus as he gained speed, hit a bump and became airborne for a moment, before hitting the ground hard and rolling. When the sky had finally stopped spinning, Wheeler unsteadily rose to his feet and glanced upwards, only just able to make out Kwame's form hurtling down the side of the cliff. The African man hit the ground much the same way as Wheeler had, but somersaulted across it, narrowly missing out on collecting his friend.

"You all right?" Wheeler asked with little sympathy in his voice, still feeling pissed off that they had conspired against him. Standing up with difficulty, Kwame stood up, opened his mouth to say something, then rushed away and threw up behind a shrub. Shaking his head and feeling slightly better, Wheeler turned and watched Gi land ungraciously. Lying spread-eagled on the ground in front of him, she grinned excitedly up at him.

"Can we do that again before we leave? Linka would love that! Oh Wheeler, you're filthy!" She giggled, before looking at the state of her own body, the smile quickly dissipating. Getting to her feet, she looked around for a water source. Shrugging her shoulders uncertainly, she tried anyway. "WATER!" The woman commanded, drenching the trio in a steady, airborne stream. "Plenty more where that came from" She commented as they began the long walk towards the entrance. "They must have it in storage somewhere underneath" Gi elaborated, nodding towards the tunnel.

After 20 minutes, Kwame expressed the shared concern that they were now clearly visible to the hundreds of workers moving in and out of the mine. Ducking behind an earthmover, the group contemplated their next move. While Gi and Wheeler volleyed ideas back and forth, Kwame noticed an old woman hunched over in an assembly line nearby, passing and receiving rocks and debris by hand. Squinting to allow for better vision, Kwame recognised her immediately. Breathing in deeply, he grabbed Gi by the arm and strode confidently from their hiding space despite the harsh protestations of a shocked Wheeler. Walking towards the captives, he drew glances from their surprised attendant, a weedy looking man with a moustache and a pathetic looking goatee, carrying a leather whip and a holstered gun. With Gi stumbling in surprise alongside him, Kwame addressed the surprised man.

"You there! The boss wants the old woman out. Productivity is down: he says she's ready to croak. He sent a replacement." With that, Kwame threw Gi down violently, sending her sprawling into the dirt. Grabbing the elderly woman, he removed her from the line of emancipated people. Ignoring the intense death-stare Gi was sending in his direction, Kwame turned and walked away with Linka's relieved Grandmother, calling out over his shoulder: "Good job, man! The boss is pleased with the progress in this sector." The weedy man smiled a toothless grin and waved goodbye jovially, before pulling out his gun and waving it at Gi, motioning for her to take the empty place. As Gi reluctantly joined the line, Kwame dragged Linka's nan out of sight behind the earthmover, sitting her down on the foot-step.

"You've done it now, man..." Wheeler commented, checking the woman for injuries as Kwame stared wistfully in Gi's direction, hoping he had made the right decision. In the distance, a whistle blew, signaling the end of work for the day. As the daylight rapidly decreased, the men in charge herded the tired workers back inside the tunnel, including Gi who, with a parting look in their direction, allowed herself to be led inside.

"I'm going in to help her and Ma-Ti. I'm grating sure you have no objections to finding Linka?" Shaking his head, Wheeler bid his friend goodbye as Kwame sped stealthily towards the entrance. Grabbing Wheeler's arm with surprising strength, Tatiana Ivanova frantically tried to communicate with him using her scattered knowledge of English.

"Took her.....a man, please.....she only......I have left". Understanding the message intended, Wheeler moved to walk her to a safer area. Struggling against him, she stopped and concentrated for a second, unable to find the appropriate words. Pointing to the mine, she raised her hands together, palms down, then abruptly dropped them, trying to make him understand. A loud noise filled the air as Tatiana pushed Wheeler towards the entrance. "Oh shit, the gate!" He exclaimed, finally making sense of the frantic gesturing.

Tearing towards the mine, he lunged forward and rolled under the metal bars, just making it before they closed with a ricocheting "BANG!". Dusting himself off, Wheeler found himself presented with a variety of directions to head, each winding off into darkness. "Fire!" he whispered, setting off a dull red glow, before randomly choosing a tunnel and beginning his descent.

* * *

Linka also heard the faint whistle echo through the walls. Being constantly bathed in darkness meant that this inanimate signal was the only way to know the approximate time of day. As the sound of harsh voices accompanied the regimental marching of the prisoners, Linka risked her regular glance from the curtain, knowing that William would be currently supervising the movement of prisoners, always leaving an armed guard outside in his place. Each evening she had glimpsed sight of her Nonna and was extremely worried about her obviously failing health. Peering cautiously out, she watched for several minutes, to no avail. As the final stragglers were pushed into their cages, it was painfully obvious that Linka's Grandmother was not among them. 

Slumping against the wall, she sighed heavily as the sounds faded away to nothing. Eyes downcast, she listened as William, Plunder and "Muscle Man's" voices approached, along with their erratic torch beams. Before ducking back behind the curtain, she glimpsed a small red glow moving quickly through a narrow tunnel to the right of her room. Looking up, Linka focused on the red dot that had now stopped dead, as if contemplating its next move. Linka watched breathlessly as the light began swirling quickly through the air, forming the letters **_'OK?'_** in handwriting very familiar to her. Relief and happiness washed over her as she nodded her head vigorously in response to the question, knowing Wheeler had come to find her.

Excitement soon turned to horror as Linka realised that Plunder, having also recognised the illumination, was now pointing in Wheeler's direction, the "Muscle Man" moving quietly along the side towards the unsuspecting American. The ring was quickly extinguished as he understood his predicament, not to mention the realisation that machinery and petrol drums were scattered around in preparation for the next day's activities, leaving the 'firebug' weaponless.

Cursing petulantly, William barked further orders to "Muscle Man" who was now striding into the same passage way, cracking his knuckles in a menacing way. Moving towards a steadfast Linka, he ordered her back inside. Once again, she stubbornly stood her ground as he advanced rapidly upon her, grasping her throat firmly and pushing her backwards. She was ready for this. Summoning all her remaining courage and strength, Linka hitched her leg back and rammed her knee between his legs. Doubled over and yelping in pain, she pulled free and ran blindly into the cavernous central area with William's swearing still ringing through her ears. Squinting, Linka could just make out Plunder's dim form moving like lightning. She was ready for this too. Rushing towards him, she careened into his side, knocking the surprised Eco-Villain to the ground. Stumbling for several moments, she regained her composure and tore further downward into the tunnel at high speed, screaming Wheeler's name. Plunder by now had reached for his gun and sent off three parting shots in Linka's direction, feeling thoroughly disgusted at himself. William had by now limped up uncomfortably beside him, also feeling utter hatred for the Planeteers.

"They're a slippery bunch, all right." Plunder muttered, replacing his gun to the holster. Grimacing, William said nothing, shaking his head in frustration and pain. "Stuff her, son! You don't need the blonde, always thinking with your......"

"Shut the hell up, Dad." William replied menacingly.

_**Oooooh, anyone see that coming??? Yeah probably, but oh well. I'm kinda' getting into the storyline now so I'll try to update sooner than usual. Thanks to those lovely people who keep reviewing...........I've been writing this chapter from 2 o'clock in arvo to 11 at night, stopping only for dinner and chocolate breaks. The reviews make up for the lack of sunlight!**_

_**Sarah.**_


	7. Chapter Seven

_Hello!!!!!! I'm on holidays!!!!! Yay!!!!!! More time now to devote to other pursuits such as swimming, sleeping, reading and feasting on too much chocolate and Christmas ham.......my Nan makes a great Golden Syrup Pudding, too. Aaaah, the silly season is once again upon us. Anyway, enough babbling. Merry Christmas, everyone......happy holidays, and try not to stuff yourself senseless like I probably will._

_Oh yeah, thanks so much for the reviews and emails!!!! Please continue, by all means._

_A little (more) swearing in this chappie: I'll apologise in advance if Wheeler offends anyone. Tamer expressions such as 'Gosh' or 'Oh, Darn' don't seem to do justice to his personality.......... _

**The Tunnel**

_Chapter Seven_

"Wake up, monkey-boy!"

Roused from a restless sleep, Ma-Ti sat up suddenly and looked around urgently, unable to sense where the voice had emanated from. Not that he could see much: a dull glow in the far corner of the room cast some sparse threads of light in most directions, however not enough to make out objects or more importantly, people. Squinting and silent, Ma-Ti waited for another sign from his mystery visitor, 90 sure that it had been Gi who had whispered his name. After several minutes of listening to the laboured breathing of the other prisoners, Ma-Ti scratched his head and leaned back, feeling frustrated and helpless. His stomach rumbled yet again as he realised it had been around 18 hours since he had last eaten.

Resigning himself to the knowledge that he had probably dreamt it all, Ma-Ti sat back against the wall, aware that a guard had entered and was leering unpleasantly in his direction. Ma-Ti chose to take on one of Wheeler's bad habits and flipped the guard a middle finger salute. Unfortunately, he began to regret his decision when the guard became incensed and moved towards the cage at high speed, yelling at Ma-Ti and brandishing a baton-like weapon.

_"Uh-oh"_ Ma-Ti thought, panic rising and now looking around desperately for something to defend himself with. Unlocking the gate to the cell, the man entered jauntily, face and ears bright red and still yelling at Ma-Ti in a guttural, foreign language. Bracing himself for impact, Ma-Ti closed his eyes.

"WATER!"

Numerous jets of of water burst out of the tunnel walls, hitting the guard's legs forcefully. Jumping to his feet, Ma-Ti moved away just in time as the guard crashed head-first onto the floor, rendering him unconscious. Stepping over the body, Ma-Ti turned and grabbed the keys from the lifeless warden. Exiting the cage, he moved cautiously across the room, noting that a few of his fellow prisoners were awake and alert. Grabbing the only lantern available, he found Gi immediately: smiling and waving insanely at him through the bars of her cell. Grinning back, he tried a couple of keys in the padlock before finding the correct one. Swinging the doors open, Gi jumped out and hugged her friend fiercely.

"I'm so glad you're OK, Ma-Ti! Sorry about scaring you, the opportunity was too good to pass up!"

"Where is Kwame? Is he here? Injured?"

"He will be after I'm through with him..." Gi muttered venomously. "I'll fill you in later. We'll let everybody else out and then find the others."

Several minutes later, the thankful captives were making their way up through the winding tunnels in droves, hoping to find their way out of the hot, oppressive environment.

"Uh, should that be happening?" Ma-Ti asked in a worried voice. The water that Gi had summoned earlier was still streaming out of the walls at a steady pace, now sloshing around their feet.

"I wasn't thinking that far ahead, to tell you the truth." Gi replied, also concerned. "C'mon, we'd better....."

"WHEELER!"

Linka's distinct voice echoed piercingly through the tunnels, followed by two sharp cracks: gunshots. The pair stood frozen in horror, unable to move.

"No...." Gi breathed in shock as Ma-Ti attempted to summon his power, forgetting that his ring was no longer on his finger. The Planeteer of Heart stared uncomprehendingly at his bare hand as Gi began to run in the direction the scream had originated. Shaken from his daze, Ma-Ti followed Gi, grabbing the lantern and following the frenzied splashing sound of her footsteps.

* * *

Wheeler had also heard Linka's screams as he ran. He slowed down, desperately wanting to return for her but knowing he'd be flattened in an instant by the Steroid-Pumping freak still actively pursuing him. As the gunshots rang out, the American came to a full halt, momentarily forgetting about his own problems. Wheeler held his breath, panic building up and now pervading his heightened senses. Turning blindly, he disregarded his own safety by re-activating his ring and tearing back in the direction he had just come from.

Upon rounding a sharp corner, Wheeler collided with what felt like a Mack Truck. His ring made contact with oily skin as an almighty roar erupted from the momentarily surprised muscle-bound villain. Briefly hunched over in pain, Wheeler's pursuer recovered quickly and grabbed the Planeteer's wrist. Still bellowing, the furious bald man smashed the American's hand twice against the wall above their heads to prevent him from summoning his power. Pain exploded through Wheeler's limb as the fragile bones were crushed in an unrelenting grip. As the remaining hand closed around the Planeteer's throat in a vice-like grip, a flood of water rushed past them, pooling around their ankles and continuing downwards.

'Muscle-Man' failed to notice not only this, but the sound of splashing behind him as Linka launched herself onto his back: scratching, tearing and biting whatever flesh her fingers and teeth came into contact with. Climbing up further, she dug her nails into the man's eyes, swearing at him in both Russian and English. Wheeler was dropped immediately to the ground, choking and gasping for air as his rescuer was thrown bodily into the water now flowing just below their knees. Dazed, Linka was dimly aware of an arm grabbing her round the waist and heaving her to her feet as the Muscle-Man's' fingers grasped blindly towards the place she had fallen.

The water now up to their waists, Wheeler held on to her tightly as their pursuer was swept past them in the rising waters, still bellowing in pain. Grabbing onto whatever supports he could find, Wheeler struggled to keep them both afloat as various guards and workers raced past them, screaming in terror.

"I think we're going for a swim, babe!" Wheeler yelled in her ear, observing the wall of water and mud heading their way. Whimpering, Linka held on to him, burying her face into his chest and tightening her grip, terrified that they would be buried alive. A familiar face headed towards them, yelling out to them. Unable to hear above the roar of water, Gi and Ma-Ti passed them at a rapid pace.

"LET GO!" was Gi's barely-heard command before she was swept away and out of sight.

"You've gotta' be fuckin' joking!" Wheeler bellowed after her, not receiving any reply whatsoever. "Shit!" he cursed, turning to face Linka who looked both frightened and utterly miserable. Sighing, he searched her face for confirmation that he could let go. Foreheads touching, she nodded, eyes downcast and sobbing quietly. Removing his injured hand from her waist, he gingerly touched her cheek with the pad of his thumb, wincing slightly in pain. Leaning in closer, he kissed her gently for several moments before drawing back.

"You ready, hon?"

"Not really." Came the barely audible reply, evidenced by the fact that her arms were still firmly wrapped around his neck.

"You go first, babe: I'll follow...."

Nodding hesitantly, she kissed him again briefly before disengaging herself carefully, aware of his injuries.

"See you soon, Wheeler."

With that, she was carried away, twisting and turning wildly until she disappeared from view. Taking a deep breath, he pushed off from the wall and let the flood waters carry him to an unknown destination.

_**Aaaaah, that's it for now: I'm going shopping! **_

**_Next chapters: Ba'ra is a little steamed about all the internal redecorating he'll have to do due to Gi's unintentional 'Wacky Waterworks!'. Seriously, she should charge admission, she'd make a killing!_** **_William's mum makes an appearance_** (Haha guess who? If you've read any of my past fics, namely **Revelations**, you might have an inkling). **_Cheyla also returns, and where did Kwame go?? No seriously, where did he go??? _**

_**Sarah :-)**_


	8. Chapter Eight

_**Hey everybody! Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. Thanks for the continuing reviews, I can't believe I'm past fifty! Keep going, by all means. I'm formulating a one shot fic in the near future as well, so I'll keep you updated. A big hello to everyone on the CPC for their feedback. **_

**The Tunnel**

_Chapter Eight_

"I'm not going in there." Plunder Jr stated firmly, with a small amount of fear thrown in for good measure. Backing away from the door, William shook his head hesitantly, unwilling to follow his father into Ba'ra's lair.

"Well, someone's going in with me! I'm not taking the blame for this mess, if you hadn't insisted on grabbing 'blondie' in the first place, those Planet-Weasels wouldn't be prowling around down here...." Plunder Senior was towering over his son now, cursing the moment he'd allowed the boy to join his scheme. Everything had been going so well..........the alterations to the old mine had been secretly going on now for 18 months, Gaia was gone and the weapon everyone had been unsuccessfully trying to get a glimpse of, was apparently ready to use.

The arguing intensified until the two men came to blows, each furious with the other's failings. William had little respect left for his father, barely having known him until recently. Besides, it was his mother who had contacted the busy entrepreneur, manipulating Looten into accepting the kid into an 'apprentice' of sorts. Manipulation was one of his mother's many talents, as well as wrapping men around her little finger. This was how William had came into this existence. His scientist mother had been looking into purchasing a complex computer system, and had used her charms to gain the money from Plunder. Describing the experience as the "best two and a half minutes of my life", Barbara Blight had bought 'MAL' and returned to her laboratory alone and pregnant. Nine months later, she gave birth and raised William on her own until the age of 12, when she shipped him off to boarding school. An explosion in her lab followed these events, leaving her face horribly disfigured on one side and "slightly mentally unhinged".

William was by now gripped in a fierce headlock and turning red. Argos Bleak had by now arrived, chuckling in amusement and leaning casually against a support beam. His grin soon turned sour as two women entered the area, one striding purposefully towards Plunder, the other younger woman trailing behind with her eyes downcast.

Father and son froze as all eyes were drawn to the blonde woman in the pink jumpsuit, shoving various henchmen out of her way. Grabbing the elder by his collar, she dragged him upright. "Do I have to take care of everything myself, Plunder-Baby? Let go of your son, he's having a coronary. BLEAK! COME HERE, NOW!" Striding purposefully into Ba'ra's cave, Dr Blight dragged Plunder in by his ear, followed hesitantly by Bleak, knowing that the final set of instructions were about to be discovered.

Muttering angrily at being made a fool of, William turned and flounced out of the room, ignoring the beady, taunting stares of the remaining henchmen. "A few words, please...." The man hissed at the other woman waiting patiently where Blight had left her. Sighing, Cheyla followed closely, resigning herself to the dressing down she was about to get.

* * *

Barely able to keep his head above the surface, Wheeler found himself thrown violently against the chamber walls by the torrent of water carrying him and his friends further downwards. Likening the sensation to that of a washing machine, the group were constantly battered by jagged outcrops of rocks and further inconvenienced by the fact that they couldn't see the oncoming obstructions. 

Somewhere ahead, Wheeler could hear Gi and Ma-Ti cursing in pain as they made contact with the sharp corners, their voices echoing amongst the other cries. Relying on one of the only senses still functioning properly, the American listened intently over the swell for any sign of Linka, receiving no clue to her progress. Shouting her name, he was still unable to hear a response as a loud churning noise replaced the steady swishing that had until then, assaulted his ears. A whining panic began to build as Wheeler kicked out with his legs, descending more rapidly than before in an effort to find his friend. A piercing scream faded to nothingness as Wheeler realised Gi must have found the end of the tunnel.

Swimming faster, his outstretched hand made contact with fine strands of hair. Gathering the last of his strength, Wheeler lurched forward and grabbed her with his good arm, holding her securely against him above the flow of water. Gasping for breath, Linka coughed up the murky water that had filled her lungs as they were swept towards a dim light rapidly approaching them. The roar of water now overwhelmed them as Wheeler realised they were about to go over a man made waterfall.

"TAKE A DEEP BREATH, BABE: WE'RE IN FOR A BIG DROP!" he bellowed over the noise, feeling her shudder against him in fear. With no time to offer words of comfort, they were both sent sprawling over the edge, plummeting helplessly into the hidden depths below.

* * *

"Ow." Gi complained, crawling towards the shallow embankment and collapsing on her back in the water, gingerly touching a fresh wound on her forehead. 

"Oh God, let's never speak of this again....." She commented to an exhausted Ma-Ti who had dragged himself up next to her. Looking around, she noticed an assortment of similarly disorientated workers, as well as the odd henchman dragging themselves from the underground dam and nursing their injuries.

"I'm glad I left Sutchi at home: he hates the water." Ma-Ti chuckled softly, before choking and throwing up a mass of brown liquid. Nodding in agreement, Gi watched as two familiar figures appeared together at the edge, before dropping heavily into the water. Nudging her friend, Gi stood and dove back into the depths as Wheeler bobbed back up to the surface, once again maintaining his secure grip around Linka's neck. With Gi's assistance they dragged Linka to the shore, the water gently lapping at their toes as they fell down on either side of her.

"She's turning blue, guys!" Gi exclaimed worriedly as Wheeler pulled her upright until she was sitting on his lap. His injured arm around her waist, he leaned her forward and gave her several hard thumps on her back. This method seemed to have the desired effect, as she lurched violently and threw up the water that had again been obstructing her breathing.

Sighing deeply, Gi and Ma-Ti plopped back down to the ground and resumed catching their breath (and sanity) as a couple of the other survivors explored the cavern for a means of escape.

* * *

"See what happens when you try to leave, Linka? All hell breaks loose." Wheeler commented quietly in her ear, delighting in the wistful smile that appeared briefly on her lips. Shuddering slightly, she closed her eyes and leaned back, resting the back of her head on his shoulder. At peace for the first time in what seemed an eternity, Wheeler placed his other arm around her and hugged her deeply, burying his face in her neck. 

After several moments, Wheeler felt a soft tapping on his shoulder. Tilting his head, he came face to face with Ma-Ti's worried expression, beckoning for him to follow. Disentangling his arms, Wheeler gently lowered Linka's sleeping form to the sand where she maintained a foetal position: still shivering, even though the air and water was humid by comparison. Barely aware that his hand was aching with greater intensity, he followed Ma-Ti to the edge of the cavern, where Gi was also waiting.

"There's no way out! Nothing, just walls of rock! What are we going to do?" Her voice rising slightly, Gi nonetheless maintained her calm composure, something that Wheeler had always admired about her.

"We could use Kwame right about now." Wheeler stated sarcastically, glancing back at Linka's form, her body still racked with tremors. A scream jolted them from their thoughts as the American swiveled around quickly, ring raised and ready. The threat was minimal, however. A woman had obviously lost control of her senses and was wailing hysterically, fending off those who had gone to comfort her. Shaking his head in sorrow, Ma-Ti went to offer assistance: even without his heart ring, he was very attune to peoples emotions. Turning back, he noticed Gi observing Linka, a worried frown etched on her forehead.

"She's not well, is she?" Wheeler asked, looking in the same direction. Biting her lip, Gi shook her head. "She's been down here longer than us. Could be the flu or something. This much exposure to water and the humidity of the mine.....I say we get an hour or so rest, then figure out what to do before more people start losing it."

Feeling exhausted and out of ideas, Wheeler agreed and returned to Linka, leaving Gi to ponder the situation alone. With the hysterical woman's cries still assaulting everyone's ears, he settled himself down behind the shuddering girl and wrapped his arms around her, moving as close as was humanly possible. Moving upward, he settled his chin against the top of her head and lay quietly, listening to her irregular breathing. The tremors began to subside as Wheeler affectionately brushed stray clumps of hair that had become plastered to the side of her face. Sighing softly, she surprised him by turning around and snuggling into his chest, her arm resting on his hip.

"Where are we?" She asked in a muffled voice.

"Dunno', babe. Underground reservoir of some kind, maybe. Little Mermaid's trying to work something out. You feelin' OK?"

"Nyet, my head hurts."

Drawing back, he took her face in his hands and studied her puffy, dark eyes and pale skin. "I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye to you, Linka. You know how I am with that sort of stuff......."

Smiling shyly, she broke the eye contact once she realised his hand was injured. "Does it hurt?"

"Shit, yeah! Well and truly pulverized." He replied, wincing as she retrieved her hand from his hip and touched a cut on his forehead.

Silence pervaded for several moments as they contemplated their situation. Linka opened her mouth to say something, then stopped, overwhelmed by both the previous chain of events and the close proximity to the man who she knew had saved her with complete disregard for his own safety. This was simply part of Wheeler's nature and personality, influenced heavily by the fact he had a massive crush on her (something she was fully aware of, too).

"Oh, shit! I forgot, we found Mishka and your Grandmother, they're fine!" Relief poured through her as she hugged him tightly.

"I thought Mishka was dead: I fell over his body when I arrived home....." She listened intently as he relayed the story of how they had came to be here. Silently contemplating the new information, she raised her head and met his concerned gaze.

"Do you now understand why I wanted to leave, Wheeler? We are getting too old for this. I want to have a normal life, maybe raise a family in the future. I don't want to die down here. My father lived his life in the mines, working 18 hour days to support my family. Look where it got him! He died of cancer at 50 years of age. I do not want to suffer a similar fate knowing I could have prevented it. N'yet, I will not repeat his mistakes."

Nodding, Wheeler pulled her into his embrace once again and kissed the top of her head, determined to get her out at all costs. As his eyes closed involuntarily, he briefly felt a soft vibration through the dark sand, followed by a low roar. Dismissing it as nothing, he drifted off to sleep with troubled, worrying thoughts plaguing his restless dreams.

_**OK, I was gunna go further, but It's midnight again, and I've been typing now for seven hours straight. Must sleep...... **_

_**Next chapters: Ba'ra unveils his weapon, William aspires to be a naughty Planeteer (with the aid of Linka's ring), Gi unleashes more cans of 'whip-ass' on the delightful Cheyla, and Kwame makes a grand entrance. Please keep continuing with the reviews!**_

_**I'll be on holidays for the next week and a half, so I'll hopefully post the next chapter sometime after that.**_

_**Cheers, guys! Luv Sarah.**_


	9. Chapter Nine

**Hi everbody! Thanks for reading (again) and the great reviews. I'd better do another copyright spiel:**

**Captain Planet and its associated characters do NOT belong to me. They remain the property of the cheeky Season Six-withholding Cartoon Network and Jane Fonda's husband. **

**The Tunnel**

_**Chapter 9**_

Creeping around in the dark was beginning to take its toll on Kwame. He had several cuts and scratches from walking into walls and sharp objects, water had begun pooling around his feet at a steady pace, and he had realised within the last half hour that he was totally lost. The concerned Planeteer had heard the distant echo of voices twice now, however each time he had attempted to seek out those responsible, they had moved on. Sighing unhappily, he kicked at the warm, muddy liquid that continued to rise. Quickening his pace, he briefly wondered if Gi was responsible for the flood, a thought that brought a brief smile to his face.

The voice had now returned, bouncing of the cavernous walls loudly and assaulting Kwame's ears. A torch beam moved haphazardly across the path in front of Kwame, accompanied by rigorous splashing and loud muttering. Without thinking, Kwame flattened himself within a small crevice, hoping the torch beam would miss him. Unbelievably, the action worked as William Plunder strode past, talking to himself and obviously deep in thought. Taking advantage of this, Kwame turned and followed the distracted man, counting on the fact that he would eventually lead him out of the maze.

* * *

William had good cause to be concerned. Everything was beginning to fall apart: Linka had gotten away, the Planet Pests had arrived and broken through the water chambers, leaving everything a muddy, chaotic mess. Ba'ra was reportedly furious with the events that had transpired, as William's parents were currently realising . Expensive equipment had been destroyed and many of the enslaved workers had escaped. The only redeeming thought was that just as many had been swept into the bowels of the tunnel, deep within the earth. Chuckling to himself, William hoped this was where the Planeteers had ended up. They wouldn't survive for much longer since their 'secret weapon' would be awakening soon, hungry and cranky at the intrusion.

Feeling anxious and nervous, William finally entered the circular cavern, its walls somewhat resembling Swiss cheese due to the numerous pockmarks scattering the surface. Glancing around uncertainly (he had been momentarily spooked by the feeling of someone watching him), he passed through the archway uncertainly, mentally preparing himself for the instructions he was about to receive. So far, he hadn't seen the mysterious Ba'ra, responsible for the mayhem that they were about to unleash on the unsuspecting public. He had carried out orders given by the spirit, listening to its deep, booming voice through a curtain. William thought he sounded like a thunderstorm: the rumbling, gravelly voice would suddenly give way to a sharp bellow, like a crack of lightning (making himself and any other poor soul standing nearby jump 3 feet).

Standing uncertainly beside the same curtain, William listened to the raised voices coming from within, pondering whether or not he should make his presence known. Strangely, he only heard his mother's voice competing to be heard over Ba'ra: Blight was in fact pleading with the spirit, protesting her innocence. Barely able to wonder what happened to his father, the curtain pulled itself aside and William gasped in horror at the sight that greeted him. Barely noticing his father's crumpled, bleeding form in front of him, his attention was held by the appearance of the spirit itself.

"Unaccustomed to perfection, you sniveling humans." Ba'ra remarked acidly, kicking Plunder Sr's leg aside like it was a piece of discarded chicken. Dr Blight watched the spirit warily as it strided past her and sat against the wall, eyeing William with malevolence. Realising he was still staring, William proceeded to pick his jaw up of the floor and sat down quickly, looking anywhere but at it's form. This dude was ugly: it was hard to believe it was in the same league as the previously impenetrable Gaia. About eight feet tall, Ba'ra was obviously of alien origin. Its thick-set body was hidden within flowing red robes, matching the shade of his scaled skin. Talons replaced fingers: William wondered if he was capable of ripping a body apart with those suckers. It was the face that drew your attention, however. Shiny protrusions covered his entire head, giving it an eerie, uneven looking surface. Two small, beady eyes peered out from heavily hooded lids and a squat, pig like nose completed the picture. In a nutshell, William thought rather hysterically, this is one guy you'd want to avoid in a dark alley.

"Take him out of here. Leave this place before I wake the creature up." Ba'ra ordered to Blight, gesturing lazily towards Looten Plunder's stirring form. Moving quickly, the mad scientist hurriedly dragged his body out without a second glance at her stricken son. Wiping sweat from his face, William was already uncomfortable in the humid surroundings, more so at realising that Ba'ra was closely observing him.

"You have them?" Ba'ra asked, at which William immediately reached into his pockets and withdrew two rings: Wind and Heart. He moved to hand them over, but the spirit shook his head firmly. Leaning back, he began to explain.

"No, you still have a job to do for me. I have instructed the others to leave, but it won't do them any good. The creature will ultimately devour anyone in its path. I brought it here several thousand years ago, burying it deep in the earth where it continued to grow in hibernation. It is now ready to feed."

"Some of the Planeteers still have their rings; I imagine they're down there with it as we speak...."

Ba'ra laughed, amused. "That's where you come in, my friend. Put the rings on." Leaning forward, Ba'ra placed Linka's ring on his index finger and uttered the word that unlocked its power. "Wind!" he commanded looking on amazed as a small hurricane whirled around them, picking up dirt and water that had been steadily building up. As the hurricane died down, Ba'ra stood and beckoned for William to follow.

"The creature will not harm you, as I control it. Just keep the remaining Planeteers busy while it gains strength. It will be susceptible to harm until it reaches the surface. Then nothing can stop it"

William didn't bother to ask how many civilizations Ba'ra had destroyed using this method. He didn't want to know, all he knew was that soon he would be a God: he had been hand chosen to be the right hand man to the most powerful spirit in the universe. What could compete with that? Smiling happily, he followed Ba'ra and climbed into one of the many makeshift mechanical trays, designed to carry tonnes of earth from below to the surface using a simple pulley system.

Making their descent into the depths below, they were unaware that an extremely pissed-off Planeteer was crouched inside the next tub, having heard everything that had transpired and desperately formulating a plan to save the trapped towns- people and his friends.

* * *

A low rumbling pervaded throughout the chamber, then stopped as quickly as it had started. Opening one eye, Wheeler realised he had been asleep for some time. Retrieving the arm that had been wrapped tightly around the girl sleeping next to him, he checked the time, seeing with shock that it was about 2am. 

"I hope that was your stomach, Wheeler" commented a nervous voice from behind him. Sitting up, he positioned his jacket securely over Linka and shuffled backwards to sit next to Ma-Ti. The air had cooled a great deal over the past hour, and the rumbling had increased: not a good combination in Ma-Ti's opinion. Sitting with his arms around his knees, Ma-Ti silently observed the people trapped with them: 17 in total, including he and his friends. A young man lay against the wall, an injured woman sleeping in his lap. A small group of middle aged women huddled together for warmth, all asleep. Gi with her arms around two little boys no older than 8 or 9, heads lolling on their chests. A couple of older men continued to talk tiredly in Russian away from the others, still looking for a way out. An elderly man hadn't survived the fall: the others had left him in the water where he had sunk to the bottom. The hysterical woman from earlier now sat at the edge of the water, awake and obviously his daughter. Two of the captors, including 'muscle man' were taking it in turns to sleep while the other stayed awake. Ma-Ti could tell by their frightened expressions that they probably knew something they did not.

Then there was Linka. Even without his ring, Ma-Ti could tell she was ill. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, and her breathing had become shallow and erratic, tremors continuing to rack her body. Wheeler had eventually found the cause of the problem: a deep cut on her shoulder that had probably led to an infection. Gi had dressed it as best she could, but it was too late for preventative measures. Ma-Ti felt terrible for his American friend who now had his head resting on his knees, knowing that he was feeling utterly devastated at Linka's condition.

"We're all gunna' die down here, you know." Wheeler remarked quietly without lifting his head. Contemplating their situation, Ma-Ti shook his head defiantly. "Have faith, Wheeler. Kwame is still around. He'll find us...."

Wheeler wasn't so sure. Sighing, he raised his head finally and the two men talked idly for a while, only stopping when the rumbling occurred again.

"What the hell is that?" Wheeler whispered. "You realise there's something down there, don't you?" Nodding, Ma-Ti focused on the white glow emanating from the water, casting their only source of light into the chamber. Ma-Ti thought it wise to change the subject from their impending doom to something lighter.

"Got any plans for when, or if we get out of here?" Ma-Ti asked. Noticing a wistful smile spreading over Wheeler's face, Ma-Ti laughed and held up his hand. "Do not tell me, my friend. I don't want to know." A comfortable silence settled upon the two before Wheeler repeated the question towards him. Contemplating his answer, Ma-Ti shrugged.

"I don't know, really. I can't even accept the fact that Gaia's gone. Maybe I'd........perhaps travel. I mean, we've been to so many places, but we've rarely been able to stay and explore. I'd like to visit some historical landmarks: Stonehenge, Pompeii, Valley of the Kings.......maybe even revisit the Incan and Aztec ruins."

"Nah, Five Star resort in Hawaii for me, man: swimming, snorkeling and generally doing nothing." Wheeler's eyes lit up, lost in thought.

"Don't forget eating." Ma-Ti added smartly, earning a light punch from his friend. Chuckling softly, Wheeler crawled back to Linka who had begun to stir. Watching him wrap his arms around her affectionately, Ma-Ti smiled as he cheekily added her name to the list of things Wheeler wouldn't mind doing in Hawaii. He had occasionally used his power to gauge how things were going between the two and was always disappointed by the lack of progress. He was never really surprised though, since both of them were stubborn as mules and Linka often felt shy and intimidated by his confident, forthright manner.

Lost in his own thoughts, Ma-Ti didn't notice the bubbles rising to the surface of the water, or that the light within the chamber was becoming brighter. It wasn't until a solid shape came barreling out of the water that Ma-Ti was roused from his daydreaming. By now Wheeler was sitting back up and watching the shape with mounting horror as it glided elegantly through the air before losing momentum.

In a very surreal moment, Ma-Ti watched, transfixed while the object crashed back down to the surface, waking the inhabitants with a wet thumping sound. Wheeler had by now realised what it was as the corpse of the elderly man careened towards Gi and the boys who jumped up and ran, screaming in terror.

Before they had the chance to react, a fierce cracking sound assaulted their ears as debris began falling from the roof of the cavern. Yelling for everyone to move towards the walls, Wheeler and Ma-Ti grabbed Linka under the arms and dragged her to safety as the rocks fell.

"What's going on?" Gi's hysterical voice only just penetrated the noise which then stopped as quickly as it started. Bewildered, the survivors stood alert and watchful as Wheeler surveyed the area.

From her position on the ground, Linka opened her eyes and gasped. Tugging on Wheeler's jeans, she summoned her remaining strength as he bent down towards her.

"Look up." She whispered, pointing towards the ceiling. Turning, he found the large hole just as a very small figure appeared at the edge and jumped, careening into the water like a bullet and disappearing from view. Stunned, the others looked at each other warily and backed up as a deep roar vibrated through the air, knocking some of the women off their feet. Running to the waters edge, Wheeler and Gi were ready, rings outstretched for whatever was about to surface. Absurdly, William Plunder appeared and swam towards them, babbling incoherently. Gi lowered her defenses; uncertain while Wheeler kept his ring raised....this guy was not to be trusted. Talking at high speed, Gi only caught fragments of the frantic ramblings as he stumbled towards her,

"Help me.......monster.........eat us all!" Lunging forward, he grabbed Gi and pulled her with him down to the ground. Momentarily shocked, Gi was unprepared for the assault as William pinned her arms above her head with one hand and tried to retrieve her ring with the other. As Ma-Ti, Wheeler and two young men moved in to intervene, William turned briefly and bellowed "Wind!", blasting the surprised group into the water. Spluttering to the surface, Wheeler retaliated immediately. "FIRE!" He roared angrily, setting fire to William's shoes. Screaming in pain and fury, he was then tackled by Wheeler and the two Russian men into the water, more moving to assist.

* * *

Struggling to keep her eyes open, Linka watched as the group was thrown around by the power of her ring. Rubbing her swollen eyes, she tried to focus as Wheeler put a cursing William into a tight headlock and dragged him to the beach. As the group struggled to retrieve the rings and sedate the villain, Linka noticed the light was now overwhelming within the chamber. Once again, bubbles began to rise violently to the top, dispersing with circular waves lightly crashing in front of her. Crawling forward, Linka noticed that something else was surfacing: something much bigger than before. 

"Guys?" She hissed, an hysterical edge to her voice as the light became concentrated within the water, forming a large shape. Getting unsteadily to her feet, she stumbled over to the group as the shape began to emerge from the water, solid and glistening. Whimpering softly, Ma-Ti glimpsed her approach: a terrified look on her face as she struggled to warn them. "What?" he mouthed to her as Wheeler pocketed the rings and punched William in the stomach for good measure.

"BEHIND YOU!" Linka shrieked. "MOVE!" Turning quickly, they glimpsed the massive, sparkly blob towering over them, emitting a blinding light. Transfixed, they simply stood staring at it for several moments, including William. Out of reflex, Wheeler pointed his ring towards the beast. The fireball that erupted was quickly extinguished by the fluid circulating throughout it's body.

"What in the friggin' hell is that?" Wheeler breathed softly. As if in reply, the thing opened it's massive, gelatinous mouth and bellowed, the vibrations again sending the group sprawling to the ground. "You've pissed it off now, Wheeler!" Gi chastised him as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

"I think it is best if that flee?" suggested Ma-Ti, advice that the group followed as they moved quickly towards the edge of the cavern, seeking out any protection they could find. Grabbing Linka's arm, Wheeler frantically searched for a space. With the bellowing still ringing in his ears, he motioned towards a hollow crack edging along the bottom of the wall, large enough to accommodate them. Understanding, Linka lay down on her back and wriggled inside, followed by Wheeler. Wrapping an arm around her neck to support his weight, he turned his head and watched the creature lumber towards the other side of the cavern towards the young men.

"Oh, shit...." Wheeler muttered. Linka attempted to look for herself, twisting her head around to see what was happening but Wheeler blocked her view, lowering his face next to hers. Cheeks touching, he listened to her rapid heartbeat and hugged her for all she was worth, trying to block out the screams and silently wondering where the hell Kwame was.

**_Oh God, the longest chapter I've ever written!!!! Two more chapters to go, I hope to finish it before school holidays end. For those who don't know, there will also be an epilogue to this fic. It will chronicle a tour that two certain characters will undertake as a result of all that has happened. I've got it all SO planned out in my head! I'm not gunna' go into too much detail regarding nocturnal activities, but If you are really craving a little detail or have any requests/suggestions, email me or post on CPC. Thanks for continuing to read, guys. I had an incredibly bad year last year, and writing these fic's keeps me motivated and positive._**

_**Till next time, luv Sarah.**_

_**P.S: Fellow writers: did you receive an email from a Random-House offset company called Xliberus? Do you know anything about them?????**_


	10. Chapter Ten

_**Hellooooooooo. Best not to read if you're after a fluff ending to this chappie.............Oh, what the hell, read it anyway. Keep reviewing, guys. Thanks again to my regulars and everyone on CPC for feedback and suggestions.**_

**The Tunnel**

_**Chapter Ten**_

"That is one, ugly looking thing." Kwame thought, echoing William's realisation from earlier. The Planeteer of Earth had been following the duo's progress from Ba'ra's lair down into the depths of the earth via the conveyor belt. Kwame had at one stage nearly given away his position: stepping into one of the makeshift trays after the pair had began descending, he had slipped and hit his head on the metal edge. Crouching down and barely able to breath, he waited for a sign that they heard. Listening closely however, Kwame knew that the two were deep in discussion, probably working out how they would distract the survivors while Ba'ra unleashed the beast.

Risking a look over the side, Kwame could see their heads bobbing in agreement as William stood and prepared to exit the tray. "Good thing I'm not claustrophobic." He thought sarcastically, knowing he and his friends would rather be any place than within these confined spaces. Kwame watched as William placed a foot on the edge of the metal frame and lunged himself onto a hidden platform while Ba'ra remained where he was, descending further into the depths. Steeling himself for the jump, Kwame followed William's lead by leaping onto the platform and quickly ducking out of sight.

On his hands and knees, William was now crawling his way through a small opening, a flashlight guiding the way in one hand, and an unknown object in the other. Kwame waited until the flashlight beam was out of sight before tailing Plunder Jr, uncomfortably aware that being buried alive was a distinct possibility if anything went wrong down here.

As the walls closed in, Kwame found that crawling was now out of the question. On his stomach, he wriggled his way for about 20 metres, making a mental note to shed a couple of pounds if they ever escaped. Gritting his teeth, he continued until William's torch beam came into focus: literally, a light at the end of the tunnel. Aware that William was now standing, Kwame stayed where he was, lying still and watching warily as the man placed a peculiar contraption on the stone floor and moved quickly away. Before Kwame could ponder its use, four claws detached from the object and shot several centimetres into the rock with a sharp '_crack_'. Looking on in horror, Kwame watched as the object began to vibrate, its shock waves pulsating through the earth in a concentrated area.

As a large section of rock broke apart and began falling, Kwame saw the large opening it made and realised that he had found his friends. The sound of splashing and screams followed as gravity prevailed. Watching William jump through the hole, Kwame crept over and peered over the edge. He caught sight of a few Russian captives running for their lives, then sighed with relief as Gi and Wheeler came into view, approaching William with their rings out. As a fight broke out among his friends, all thoughts were temporarily put out of his mind as the creature rose out of the water, its roars deafening even from Kwame's vantage point. He watched everyone scatter, catching sight of Wheeler dragging a half unconscious girl to safety (Linka!) and Ma-Ti shouting directions. As the luminescent blob reached the shore, Kwame got a better look at the sparkling mass with no features except a huge, gaping mouth, dripping with moisture.

As Kwame formulated a plan in his head, he understood that two things were paramount: he needed to retrieve the rings, then bury whatever the hell was down there.

* * *

"Looks like a giant Jello mould!" Wheeler whispered in awe, unable to curb his mouth as the creature half slithered/half glided around the cavern in frustration, looking for potential prey. 

"Shit, I need a holiday," he stated quietly, watching Gi bolt past their hiding spot.

"I'm coming with you, then," came the whispered reply, causing Wheeler to do a double take.

"Oh, God you're delirious too...." he exclaimed lightly, checking her forehead for fever."You sure I'm not cutting of the circulation to your brain or something?"

"I do not think so," she replied, shaking her arm to get rid of the pins and needles.

"Better be careful hon', I might just take you up on that offer!"

Nodding her head and smiling gently, she kept her eyes tightly closed as he repositioned his injured hand, which had been throbbing quite badly since they had ridden the suicide slide into this bottomless pit. Sighing, he checked the progress of the others: Gi's feet were now just visible behind an outcrop of rock, sheltering alongside a few others. More were hiding in crevices; some were still frantically running around and gaining the creature's attention for the moment. Advancing on a lone individual, it lunged forward and seemed to cover one of Plunder's henchmen, the screaming man disappearing into its mass. As the blob moved on, there was no sign of the man who had been cowering to the side.

Wheeler shuddered in disgust and turned his attentions to the girl lying quietly underneath him, breathing unevenly. Using his spare hand, he gently brushed a clump of matted hair out of her eyes before settling his hand on the side of her face, stroking the pad of his thumb over her cheek. The slightest smile touched her lips as he dipped his forehead down to meet hers, both taking solace in the overwhelming calmness the contact so briefly brought them. Blocking out the deafening noise, Linka removed her arms from around his waist, holding his face gently in her hands.

"Thank you for coming to find me, Yankee."

"Fat lot of good it did us, Lin." He muttered darkly, glancing out quickly to monitor the blob's progress. "I'm just sorry we're about to become fast food for this....." Wheelers words were cut short as Linka pulled him close, pressing her lips against his in mid sentence. Surprise turned to an unexpected surge of joy as he reciprocated her actions, pulling her as close as humanly possible as she clung to him, lost in the moment.

"Geez, Linka!" Wheeler sighed, breaking away from her reluctantly just as another spectacle caught his eye, confusion now replacing the feelings of fulfillment and acceptance of their fate. As the creature took down another hapless victim, a lone figure seemed to be unwavering in its stance.

"What the hell is he doing?" He whispered in Linka's ear. Raising her blue eyes to his, Wheeler nodded his head towards shore. In the midst of this chaos stood William, seemingly over-confident and fearless in the face of the terror. Arms raised and eyes closed, William was _smiling_, as if this was a regular, everyday occurrence.

_"YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A QUEEN, LINKA!" _He shouted, the sound echoing through the chamber. _"BY TOMORROW, YOU AND HALF OF EUROPE WILL BE GONE!"_ As Linka tensed and hugged him tightly, Wheeler watched as the creature turned and moved in William's direction. _"I'M GUNNA' BE A GOD, AND YOU'RE ALL GUNNA' BE DEAD!"_ Grinning smugly, William continued to provoke the Planeteers, shouting to be heard over the constant roaring. _"HOWS THIS FOR ECO-TERRORISM! THIS THING EATS EVERYTHING: PLANT, MINERAL, BIOLOGICAL: IT'S INSATIABLE . WAIT 'TILL THE SUNLIGHT HITS IT, NO ONE WILL STOP IT THEN ....... AND THEY SAID I COULDN'T DO IT: MY PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE A BRAIN BETWEEN THEM, THE MORONS!"_

As the creature moved towards the oblivious wacko, Gi was now on her knees and frantically trying to gain Wheeler's attention. Pointing to the roof, Wheeler watched awestruck as a familiar figure leapt from the canopy above and dived gracefully into the water without so much as a splash. Exhaling with relief, he grinned at Linka. "Kwame's here!" he whispered in her ear, nuzzling her nose with his own. Gaining no response, he pulled back before realising that she hadn't heard. Touching her cheek, he saw that she was unconscious, her skin cold and clammy.

"Oh shit, babe...... don't do this to me now!" He muttered, trying to rouse her as Kwame surfaced and tackled a surprised William into the water, desperately trying to grasp the rings from his unyielding fingers. Dragging her out of their hiding place, he quickly checked her pulse and breathing as Gi ran over.

"I'll watch her, Wheeler. Kwame needs your help." Upon seeing that William was holding Kwame's head underwater, Gi acted quickly a the American sprinted towards Kwame. "WATER!" She commanded, sending the three sprawling across the cavern just as the creature had advanced on them. Bellowing angrily, the creature now made its way in the direction the water had come from: Gi and Linka. 

"Oh, crap." Gi commented rather too calmly as the blob faced them. Incredibly, it had almost doubled in size as it lurched towards them_. "WAKE UP!" _She hissed urgently, shaking Linka violently. "Ma-Ti, a little help!" She screeched wildly as the other captives sprung to help, including the young boys who Gi had assisted earlier.

_"GIMME THE GOD-DAMN RINGS, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!"_ Wheeler swore, kneeing him in the stomach as Kwame tried wrenching the rings away. Three women ran to help, one jumping on William's back and linking her arms around his neck, effectively cutting off his intake of air. Choking, the villain punched elbowed Kwame hard before throwing the rings high into the air.

The moment seemed suspended in time. The Planeteers could only watch in horror as their remaining two weapons curved elegantly, almost surreally, landing in the water below. "So much for our team-beam," Wheeler commented angrily, watching William cheering triumphantly, pumping his fist into the air as the children swam in the direction the rings had landed.

_"GLORY IS MINE!" _He exclaimed hoarsely, grinning insanely. "Ah, shut the hell up." Wheeler fumed, before turning and taking out his fury and frustration on Plunder's offspring. Kwame and Ma-Ti moved immediately to pull him off as the young boys swam back to the shore. "We have bigger fish to fry, my friend."

Exhausted beyond comprehension, Ma-Ti felt a strange but familiar sensation flood his senses: his ring was calling him. Looking around, he watched in astonishment as the two young boys shouted out to them in Russian, frantically trying to get their attention.

"They find rings," translated a young Russian woman using broken English. A large gash on her forehead, she was attempting to help Gi rouse Linka while some of the workers gained the monster's attention. As two more men was taken by the beast (including a shocked, screaming William), the children handed the rings to Ma-Ti, who in turn slipped the ring on Linka's finger.

"She won't wake up" Gi stressed as the others caught up. "I have an idea, though..... Oy! Wake up you blonde, communist book-worm bimbo!" Gi screeched into Linka's face, gaining the desired effect as Linka opened her eyes and stared uncomprehendingly at her friend. "Sorry...." Gi reiterated in a small voice as Kwame started the proceedings.

"Then let our powers combine....Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind," Linka added, her voice barely audible.

"Water"

"Heart"

"RUN!" Yelled one of the kids as the creature came lumbering towards them, its bulk towering over them menacingly as its mouth swung down. Heaving Linka over his shoulder, Wheeler ran as fast as his legs would carry him, the two kids hot on their heels. As the others dispersed, Kwame tripped and fell, cursing miserably as he went down.

"KWAME, NO!" Gi stopped where she was, frozen at the sight as the blob bore down on her friend. As Kwame disappeared from view, Wheeler stopped and gently dropped Linka down to the ground before falling down beside her, shock and fear registering on their faces. Watching fearfully, Linka clasped her hands to her mouth as she silently began to cry. As Gi fell to her knees in dispair, Ma-Ti felt a surge of hope. The previously translucent creature was emitting a bright green light from every pore, and seemed to be suffering from a bad case of indigestion. Thrashing about, the creature seemed to quiver for a few moments, then gave an earth-shattering roar before exploding with a sickening squelch.

Remaining in the same spot was Captain Planet who had been shielding Kwame with his body. Picking him up, Cap immediately threw him into the water, beckoning for Gi and Ma-Ti to help.

"The Wrennox is largely made up of concentrated digestive juices. I don't think too much damage has been done. Keep washing him off, just to be certain." Hugging each grateful Planeteer in turn, he made a motion with his hands and sent the exhausted Russian captives into the air, swirling gently upwards and out of sight, some waving their thanks to the group remaining.

Cap turned and looked apprehensively in Wheeler's direction, currently cradling Linka in his arms and looking totally overwhelmed. Walking over, Cap placed his hand over her heart and sighed. Crouching down, he was face to face with the American as he issued his final instructions. Planet looked weary and in pain: It seemed that the Wrennox had severely depleted him

"I'll fly you all to the top of the canopy, then you're on your own. I have to deal with Ba'ra since Gaia is gone now, so this will probably be the last time we meet." A look of deep pain momentarily crossed his features, before he continued. "You need to get her to a hospital Wheeler, or she won't survive. Good luck, firebug."

Wheeler barely had time to register the words before he and the other Planeteers were scooped up and flown through the hole in the ceiling.

* * *

No sooner had they reached the canopy when Wheeler first noticed that something was dreadfully amiss. One of the little boys remained in the chamber, a terrified look on his face. As Gi stood up to question him, the boy was picked up by an unseen entity and flung towards the hole. In the chaos that followed, Wheeler realised what was happening: Ba'ra had been lying in wait, prepared and waiting for them. As Planet dashed to catch the boy, Ba'ra made his second move. 

Flinging Gi out of his way, she hit the ground with a thud as the spirit launched himself at an unprepared Cap, sending them both crashing into the already unstable rock walls. As the pair continued to fight, Wheeler lost his grip on Linka as she was thrown several metres away towards the gaping hole. Panic overtook his senses as he caught glimpses of her lying crumpled on her side, eyes open and looking around in confusion.

Unfortunately, Ba'ra also noticed the disorientated planeteer and seized his chance. Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her effortlessly and moved towards the hole, eying them with malicious intent. Smiling, he dangled her over the opening with one hand, ignoring her frightened cries and enjoying the effect it was having on the group. Cap moved forwards like lightning, but Ba'ra was prepared for this too. Shooting out his other arm, he made contact with Cap's face with frightening force, sending him plummeting head first into the wall again.

* * *

Linka watched in fear as Wheeler edged closer and closer to the fray. She was exhausted: the entity was throwing her around like a rag doll, but she refused to close her eyes for fear of not waking up. As a seriously depleted Cap grasped hold of her foot, Ba'ra released her unexpectedly. As Linka fell screaming through the opening, Cap retaining his hold and crashed to the ground, leaving the terrified Russian girl dangling upside down as the cavern began to fall apart. Large mounds of rock began falling from the platform on which they were standing: one whizzed past Linka's head, making a tumultuous splash below.

As shuddering sobs racked her body, she was jolted another foot downwards as Cap slid further into the abyss, unable to latch onto anything. Springing to help, Wheeler launched himself towards Cap's feet as Gi and Kwame attacked Ba'ra. They were no match, however as he sent them sprawling through the tunnel in which Kwame had entered earlier.

* * *

As Ma-Ti hid undetected in the shadows, Ba'ra turned and laughed, before kicking Wheeler viciously in the ribs. As the floor began to give way beneath them, Ma-Ti saw with anger that the spirit was peering over the side, taunting Linka and now heaving the three injured over the edge towards a certain death.

Watching Ba'ra standing threateningly over his friends, Ma-Ti made the decision in an instant. As if to confirm this, a warm purple glow manifested itself over Ba'ra's head. The haze seemed to spread, enveloping those on the ground who were too preoccupied too notice. As the last remaining essence of Gaia radiated throughout the chamber, Ma-Ti knew what had to be done.

As the floor began to fall away beneath them, the Planeteer of Heart threw himself at Ba'ra, catching the spirit unaware. Overbalancing, they toppled over the side together and plummeted ever downward, becoming indistinguishable from the debris that fell alongside and eventually, on top of them.

* * *

Partially re-energised by Gaia's radiating presence, Cap had silently clutched his charges tightly and flown through the narrow tunnel, enlarging it in order to fit. Dodging and blasting rogue rocks and boulders, he made it to the conveyor belt where Gi and Kwame had waited anxiously, their efforts to return hampered by the collapsing mine. Depositing all four of them into a tray, he swung around and returned in the direction he'd come.

Bruised, bleeding but alive, they began ascending, Linka's desperate sobs the only sound permeating the clunky mechanical gears.

"What happened? Where is Ma-Ti?" Kwame demanded as Gi looked on, dawning horror registering on her face.

In response, Wheeler shook his head tearfully and buried his face into Linka's neck, trying to comprehend the enormity of what they had witnessed.

_**Anyone see that one coming? I'm probably going to get flamed for that twist, but it was always how i envisioned the fic ending, so I'm not going to change it........ Chapter 11 will follow promptly, dealing with the aftermath/recovery and then I will add an epilogue. I hope you guys like the fic so far: I can get a little dark and gloomy occasionally, but there will be a light at the end of The Tunnel (pardon the pun!).**_

_**Regards, Sarah.**_


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Hey, guys! I still can't believe the feedback I'm getting from this fic. I'm sincerely flattered by it, actually! _

_Well, this will be the last regular chapter. I will post an epilogue at a later date, since it's going to take me a while to write and I want to post it in one hit, rather than separate chunks._

_After all of this is finished, I will be taking a break from CP and FanFic's to write my own novel. It's been bubbling along in my brain for ten years now, and I've procrastinated for far too long. I have the first four chapters planned out on paper, and I specifically bought my laptop 6 months ago to write it!_

_Anyway, enough babbling. Hope you like it._

**The Tunnel**

_Chapter Eleven_

Rhythmic beeps and blips filtered into her consciousness as Linka was slowly roused from a deep sleep. Eyes closed, she simply concentrated on the somewhat comforting sound, anticipating the next beep in her head. Breathing in, sterile chemicals invaded her senses, tickling her nose and throat. The electronic noises now hastily forgotten, her eyes fluttered open as it took several moments for her to focus on the dark, unfamiliar surroundings.

Her heart quickening, she attempted to sit up but encountered pain along the inside of her left arm. Fear turned to revulsion as she glanced at the IV drip sending nutrients into her blood, the needle embedded uncomfortably into her flesh. Shuddering (she hated needles), Linka's attention was again diverted to the heart monitor beside her bed, obviously responsible for the electronic noises that had woken her.

As the clean, clinical sparseness of the hospital room became apparent, several nurses ambled past her partially closed door, speaking softly in Linka's native language: Russian. Relaxing slightly, she propped herself against the pillows, careful not to dislodge the drip. As sunrise filtered in through the window, Linka became aware of a shape curled up in the shadows beside her bed. Had it not changed position, she wouldn't have noticed it at all. The figure stirred again, shifting uncomfortably in the wicker chair before turning and resting his head and plastered arm on an unused portion of her bed. Even in the dim light, she immediately knew who it was: she could pick Wheeler out blindfolded.

"Wheeler?" She whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. Gaining a grunt in response, she tried again.

"Wake up, Yankee!" She repeated huskily, gaining the desired effect as he groggily opened his eyes and stared at her for several seconds. As realisation dawned on his face, he sat up too quickly and thumped his injured hand on the bedpost, the noise reverberating loudly through the room.

"Shit!"

Linka watched in surprise and confusion as Wheeler cursed again and clambered to the floor before rolling expertly under her bed. Opening her mouth to question his peculiar antics, she remained silent as a tall, attractive nurse entered the room. Smiling broadly, the woman chatted to Linka in Russian while taking her blood pressure, temperature and changing the dressing on her arm. Seemingly satisfied, the nurse tucked the sheets around her and continued her rounds, closing the door securely behind her.

* * *

Hidden under the bed, Wheeler listened as the nurse had questioned Linka, unable tosee or understand what they were saying but fairly sure of the subject matter. The American sighed in relief as the nurse's sensible, white tennis shoes changed direction and sauntered back into the glossy hallway. 

"The nurse said that a patient had gone missing from his bed. That wouldn't be you by any chance, Wheeler?"

Shuffling painfully out from his hiding spot, he stood furtively beside the bed before motioning for Linka to slide over. As she made room for him, he settled down next to her and lay back on top of the blankets, a troubled expression on his face.

"Do you remember anything?"

"Nyet, not really........ bits and pieces, really. I'm feeling a bit woozy, to tell you the truth. How are the others?

_Oh God, she doesn't remember........_

Wheeler decided to change the subject for now.

"We're in a Moscow hospital, hon'. From what we can gather, (_or translate, he thought) _you developed an infection from that cut on your arm. You've been totally out of it for about three days. They had to pump you full of antibiotics; you nearly lost your kidneys.........."

Linka slowly digested the information being relayed to her, before gently touching the heavy plaster cast. "Broken?"

"Um, crushed, actually. They had to insert metal supports to replace some smaller bones. They operated as soon as we arrived." Sighing, he closed his eyes. "I've been told I won't regain full use of it again."

"Anything else I should know about?" She asked, aware that he was wincing occasionally

"2 fractured ribs and lacerations." _Could have been worse, _he thought sadly.

Nodding, she stared sleepily at a watercolour painting hanging on the wall in front of them: a pretty, rustic cottage scene with garden beds of lavender edging along the foreground. Upon noticing that Wheeler had stopped speaking and seemed lost in thought, she reached across and grasped his uninjured hand, holding it within both of her own. Squeezing it in sympathy, they fell into a comfortable silence. Her thoughts again drifted towards her friends as she repeated the question she had received no answer to earlier.

"Gi had a moderate concussion, but she was released yesterday. Kwame took her back to the Island today to start packing up our stuff. Your brother was here earlier too, but he went home around 8 o'clock last night." Wheeler suddenly sat up, recalling something that he had wanted to tell her.

"Hey, guess what? Your Grandmother made it up the embankment using a cherry picker, drove our car into town and returned with half of Russia's police force! By the time we got you out, a couple of officers were restraining her from walloping Dr Blight and Plunder over the head with her handbag!"

Smiling, Linka tried to picture her _nonna _beating up eco-villains. She wondered if William and Ba'ra had received the same treatment........

_William and Ba'ra......._

Sitting bolt upright, she gasped as memories and images began to assault her senses. _The monster, trapped in a........I was upside down..... he tried to drop me through......we had called Captain Planet........argh! _Frustrated at the hazy recollections, she hitched her knees up to her chest and dropped her head down, feeling Wheeler's comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Boshe moy........Ma-Ti!" she whispered, lifting her head and gazing at Wheeler, a distressed look apparent on her face. Unsure of how to proceed, the American simply shook his head, shattering her hopeful optimism.

"I'm sorry, Linka. Cap' went back in but couldn't find them."

"No!" Brushing aside the tears that had began to fall, she lowered her head again as Wheeler awkwardly put his plastered arm around her shoulders.

"The whole mine collapsed about half an hour after we left. He's gone, honey. I just didn't want you waking up and remembering what happened on your own."

Feeling her shudder, he leaned in close and spoke quietly into her ear, consoling her. "He made a choice, babe. If it weren't for him, all three of us would be gone."

"We don't know for sure," she argued passionately, "we have to find him, he could still be alive!"

Shaking his head unhappily, Wheeler knew better. "Listen to me, Linka. Cap's stuck and unfortunately for him he can't return back to the earth. I'm told this can only happen when a ring holder dies while the big dude is loose. He can't return power to the rings as a result of this either, so basically we're all stuffed."

"How do you know this?" she exclaimed, almost angrily.

"Cuz' Cap told me. He's been wandering around the hospital grounds for days in a panic. Since he can't recharge, he's losing his powers. There's no doubt that Ma-Ti's gone, Linka. Do you understand?"

Hitching her breath in, she turned her pale face towards the window, as if expecting to see Captain Planet pacing the street outside. "How is he holding up?"

Frowning, Wheeler thought about it for a moment. "Cap's inconsolable, actually. He's lost Gaia, Ma-Ti and now he's losing his strength. He keeps circling the hospital, muttering to himself......"

Pondering this new information, Linka wiped away a few stray tears from her cheeks before settling back onto the pillows again. "Too much.....what about Ma-Ti's family? Do they know?"

Wheeler wasn't sure. "I think Gi and Kwame are flying to South America next week to find his tribe and return his belongings." Sighing, he closed his eyes. The morphine was beginning to wear off, his hand now throbbing intensely. Ignoring it, he lay back against the pillow with Linka and studied the ceiling. In all honesty, he had spent the last few days grieving Ma-Ti in his own private way: Wheeler was the first to acknowledge that he had a habit of bottling things up.

"Do you want me to go?" He asked softly, turning uncomfortably onto his side to face her. Eyes still staring at the roof, she shook her head, then sat up unsteadily and reached for the cotton blanket at the end of her single bed. Throwing it over the both of them, she laid back down and further surprised Wheeler by gently reaching behind his neck and drawing his head forwards until he was settled contentedly in the crook of her arm. His breath tickling her neck, he stirred only once before drifting into a restless sleep.

* * *

Sighing heavily, Linka remained awake. _Too much to process....._ she reflected, sadly. She briefly wondered if Ma-Ti had felt any pain, but the tears that threatened to spring forth made her banish that thought quickly from her mind. Linka's other concern was Sutchi: Wheeler hadn't mentioned anything about Ma-Ti's constant companion. Running her fingers lightly through Wheeler's hair, she smiled as she recalled Ma-Ti's constant, abeit unsuccessful efforts to get the two of them together.

_He was always too full-on, Ma-Ti. I was frightened by the attention he gave me....._

Hoping he had heard her almost apologetic confession, she wrapped her arms tightly around Wheeler's sleeping form.

_I understand now, my dear friend. Life's too short....... _

* * *

The following week was a blur of tearful reunions, traumatic memories and pissed-off nursing staff. Wheeler had eventually been found on that first night and had been accompanied back to his room by two burly males. As Gi had explained the next day, the head nurse apparently 'had it in' for the American and had effectively barred him from visiting Linka while they were in 'her' hospital. Thinking the disciplinary action was a little over the top, Kwame had simply shrugged. 

"I get the feeling he may have thrown a few insulting words her way while he was in her care. Obviously the language barrier wasn't an issue," the African man had commented a week later, reclining in the wicker chair. In spite of it all, Kwame had escaped with few injuries. Gi had almost completely recovered, a couple of stitches on her forehead the only visible sign of her concussion.

"He said to say hi, though. It looks like the plaster will come of in about three weeks, he has to wear a bandage for a while, though. I won't tell you what he plans to do with the cast, though......" Gi shook her head as she sat perched on the side of Linka's bed, recalling Wheeler unhappily ranting about the situation.

_Well, you shouldn't have called her a psychotic, wrinkled dinosaur! _Gi had chastised him the day before, knowing how depressed and despondent he was in light of recent circumstances. With Wheeler having been discharged several days ago, Linka had learnt with amusement that he was now being doted on by her own _nonna._

"I heard he was going to grind it up and add it to Nurse Gregoria's tea....." commented Cap unexpectedly from his spot on the floor. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a turtle neck, Gi had applied foundation to his face to mask the unusual colour. In spite of the constant reassurance he had received from the others, the 'big dude' still blamed himself for what had happened to Ma-Ti and Gaia. His strength had now dwindled to such a point that he couldn't even re-heat Gi's cup of tea that had cooled somewhat as a result of too much talking.

Chuckling at Cap's comment, the group entered into a thoughtful silence. "Where's Sutchi?" Linka asked, aware that she hadn't seen the little monkey for a few days.

"Won't leave Wheeler's side. Getting a little clingy, actually." Gi replied. "Poor little thing...... I think he knows, actually," she added sadly. "Will you both be ok to look after Sutchi until we get back?" Gi and Kwame were leaving for Paraguay early tomorrow morning.

"Da, that is fine. Do you know where Ma-Ti's family are?"

"Haven't a clue. Wheeler said that he'd pick you up tomorrow from the front foyer, so long as his arch-nemesis doesn't spot him." Kwame smiled inwardly: Ma-Ti often mentioned that Wheeler had more enemies than friends (or common sense, for that matter).

Their idle chatter was put to rest as Nurse Gregoria entered the room, giving Linka's guests a severe "_Get out NOW!_" expression. Rising rapidly from their places, the three hugged their friend in turn; Gi cheekily whispering, "go easy on his ribs, girl!" Blushing, Linka pinched her best friend hard before they bade her goodbye and left in a hurry, unwilling to be the recipient of the nurse's hostile intentions. As the 'iron maiden' went about her duties, Linka was overwhelmingly relieved that she was returning home tomorrow. She was growing sick of the hospital food and looking forward to a good, home cooked meal. Ironically, she became aware that Wheeler and the others would be sitting down to her grandmother's Sunday roast in about an hour or so.

Another trainee entered bearing a hot tray; setting it down in front of Linka before departing swiftly. Wrinkling her nose at the unappealing smell, she briefly picked at the vegetables and ate a bread roll. Pushing the tray and table away, she settled back and turned the TV. After an hour of watching "M.A.S.H." and "Seinfeld", she fell asleep listening to Kramer's badly dubbed Russian voice echoing in her ears.

* * *

Linka was full of nervous anticipation as she was wheeled by an orderly out of the elevator. Her bags were balancing precariously on her knees, her nurse having already clipped several corners with the edge of the wheelchair. She had argued that a wheelchair wasn't necessary, but it was apparently hospital policy so she wisely chose not to argue the point. She chatted to him as they moved through the corridors, learning that his name was Sergei, he lived in nearby Uglich and he didn't have a girlfriend (a fact that he eagerly, _hopefully_ mentioned to the pretty blonde). 

Entering the foyer, she spotted him immediately, sitting on the edge of a concrete platform housing colourful shrubs and plants and reading an old issue of People magazine.

"Yankee!" She exclaimed, startling him for a short moment. Grinning widely, he strided confidently over to them and took over from the orderly. Waving goodbye to the disappointed young man, she was rolled out through the automatic doors and into the daylight. Stopping on the curb, he pulled her up and out of the chair, wrapping his arms around her affectionately. Spinning her around several times, he suddenly stopped and placed her back on the ground.

"Hey, there...." He whispered happily, kissing her on the cheek and bending down to grab the bags that had flown of her lap. Following him to Mishka's car, she watched in surprise as Sutchi bounded towards her and flung himself onto her shoulder.

* * *

"He wanted to come, stubborn little bugger." Wheeler had explained after they had arrived at their destination. After a hearty dinner and countless hugs from her family, Mishka and Nonna had retired to their rooms, aware that they had a lot to talk about. "I don't know why he's taken to me all of a sudden. He used to hate me." 

"No wonder, Wheeler: do you remember when Sutchi dropped your Discman into the water? You threw him head-first out of your bedroom window! Ma-Ti wouldn't talk to you for weeks...."

"What about the time I threw him at Plunder?" Wheeler smiled, remembering Ma-Ti's angry reaction on this occasion as well. "Ma-Ti accused me of animal cruelty and plastered my room with PETA leaflets."

"Da, well you deserved it. Still, it is strange to see him so......attached to you," Linka stated, observing the animal asleep in Wheeler's lap. "Gi and Kwame caught the plane, then?"

"Yeah, Gi said she'd ring you tomorrow. I reckon there's something going on between those two, though."

"How long did it take you to figure that one out, Yankee?"

"What!" He spluttered in confusion. "God-damn it," he muttered, "No one tells me anything, anymore."

"Wheeler, you are not the world's most observant person and besides, you never asked." Smiling with amusement, she ruffled his hair good naturedly and crossed her legs underneath her on the large sofa, tightening her dressing gown around her.

"I'm observant when it comes to you," he reasoned. "I know that you haven't taken your medicine, yet."

Punching him lightly on the arm, she stood gracefully and padded barefoot into the kitchen, coughing lightly into her hand. Although she was feeling stronger every day, she had been instructed to continue taking antibiotics to prevent a relapse: unfortunately the damp, humid environment in the mine had also affected her lungs.

Returning to the couch, she snuggled into Wheeler's side and laid her head on his shoulder for a while, watching the dying embers dance around the fireplace. Sniffing quietly, she asked the question she had been secretly avoiding.

"What happens now? I mean, our rings are......um, what is the word?"

"Useless?"

"Da, we are underemployed now, you know," she stated, unaware of how charming Wheeler found the delivery of that comment.

"_Unemployed_, babe. I don't know, but I think I'd like to go away for a while. I mean, not like a lazy, pool-side holiday or anything. Just something to keep my mind of......stuff." He shifted uncomfortably, nearly tossing Linka off his shoulder in the process. ("Sorry, hon.") "You know what's weird? Holidays were the last thing I remember speaking to Ma-Ti about."

"When? What were you talking about?"

"In the chamber, before all hell broke loose. You were drifting in and out, so I sat and chatted to him for a while. He liked the sound of Egypt and Pompeii."

"Archaeological sites...." she said thoughtfully as Wheeler smirked. _Typical she'd know the English translation for archaeological and confuse other more common terms. _"Da, I would love to tour those places one day. What was your choice at the time?"

"Surfing in Hawaii or something else undignified like......." he stated before trailing off, thinking about Ma-Ti again. Shaking himself out his depressed state, he directed the same question towards the pretty girl sitting beside him. "You got anywhere you wanna' go?"

"Anywhere you are," she replied without thinking. Upon realising what she had said, she blushed intensely and bit her bottom lip but bravely returned his shocked stare. "Boshe moy, I cannot believe I said that," she muttered. "Close your mouth, Yankee. You're attracting flies....."

"...and stubborn but attractive Russian women, obviously!" He laughed, still a little stunned and amazed that she would reveal that to him. "Lets go away then!" He stopped, waiting for an objection or refusal, but received none. "You sure you're not doped up on medication?" He inquired curiously, receiving another slap, but she seemed to be listening, nonetheless. "I mean, where ever you wanna' go, babe. I'll even promise to behave myself......Scouts honour!"

"You were never a scout, Wheeler," she reminded him in an amused tone, his enthusiasm catching on.

"OK then, I will _try _my best not to come on to you...... much. And we'll bring monkey brains with us, if you want. You can even choose the destination, babe."

Contemplating her options, Linka spoke. "I think you're right about one thing in particular, Wheeler. I do not feel in the least like celebrating or sunbathing. Maybe we could see Egypt? We have had our fair share of snow, ice, rain, floods... (_"mudslides," _he added with a grimace)" Observing the sleet falling beyond the window, she strengthened her resolve.

"For Ma-Ti too." Wheeler spoke solemnly, holding his good hand out towards her.

"Da, for Ma-Ti." Accepting the gesture, she shook his hand firmly before standing and briefly kissing him on top of the head. "Let's wait a couple of weeks until we're ready to leave, Wheeler. I'm going to bed."

"Night, babe."

_**Fin**_

_**Oh shit, now I have to start the epilogue, guys.**_


End file.
